Oceans Away
by goldskies7120
Summary: Percy is the CEO of a company working to save the oceans, but he's not happy. Everything around him seems to be sinking, and he's struggling to keep himself afloat. Annabeth is an assassin. The cruel game of life put her in this position and she can't seem to get out of it. When fate pulls their paths together, everything changes. But was it for better or worse? AU. Slightly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I've been working on this story for a while, and I really hope you enjoy it. Just an FYI, this is my first fanfiction.**

 **Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to our dear Uncle Rick. :D**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

To be or not to be… that is not the question here.

I've come to terms with it. I can't relieve myself of my identity any more than Heracles could get rid of his bad luck. I can feel its presence everywhere, as if it's making sure that I can never let go of it. That I can never be truly happy. But at the same time, it's there for me at my worst, most vulnerable moments. Like when my father puts us in debt once again, or when one of my siblings gets thrown into jail, I know I can have my identity to count on.

I guess you could call me 'experienced' in my trade. I've been an assassin since I was twelve, two years after a woman who went by Fan Zhi (being American, I called her 'Fancy') found me begging for change in front of Walmart. She asked me my story, at which point I gave up on the whole stranger-danger thing, and I narrated an excessively dramatic and pitiful version of my life in hopes of some good cash. Once I finished, however, she took a nice, long stare at me and promptly left. I had contemplated calling out after her, but I decided against it, since it would make me seem even more desperate and pathetic.

The very next day, she came back and said, "A girl like you should learn how to defend yourself."

I had no idea what she meant by that, but I tagged along anyway, crossing my fingers that whatever she wanted me to do would me worth it. An hour later, we ended up shaking on a deal. For two years, she would teach me martial arts in the evenings, and in return, I would play housekeeper and caretaker for her two children when she went to work.

She didn't pay me much. Just enough to feed me and what was left of my family. But I was so grateful anyway. Martial arts lessons probably cost twice or three times what I earned on a monthly basis, so it was a loss on her part. And when she came back from work, she would feed me snacks that I hadn't had the luxury of eating in a long time. She would train me patiently but sternly, correcting every single detail regarding my form and execution. And she lost hours to spend with her family because of her dedication towards my ability to protect myself. She sacrificed so much to teach me what I now cherish with my whole heart.

Those years were easily the best of my life. But it all ended too abruptly.

I was baking cookies with her daughters when the door to the house opened. I was surprised, since it was 3 hours before Fan Zhi would normally come home. Sensing something out of the ordinary, I grabbed a kitchen knife and peeked around the corner.

It was her husband.

He stood motionless in front of me for a good minute, beholding the knife I had in my hand and followed it with his eyes as I placed it back in its holder. His daughters ran up to him, squealing with delight and asking why he was home so early, but his eyes divulged that he was not happy to see them. It was as if the sight of them caused him even more difficulty. Even more pain.

After calming his children down, he pulled me aside and firmly stated, "Fan Zhi is dead."

I was shocked, to say the least. I had never experienced loss this sudden. My own mother died of cancer, so I had known she was dying for quite some time. But for someone so alive, so healthy, to be gone within the span of a few hours? Unfathomable.

Through her husband, I learned that Fan Zhi was a lawyer, a very good one, who had been coerced into defending a man many people did not want defended. Unfortunately, one of those people had enough power, influence and lack of a conscience to force her into a car accident. One that ended up taking her life.

About a month after the incident, I accompanied the kids and their father to the airport. They were leaving for China, to return to their ancestral home and live with their family. They had nothing left for them here, and I understood. But saying goodbye to them that day was one of the worst moments of my life.

For two years, I had accepted food, shelter, and self-defense lessons, but I had also begun to accept a new family. I had become very close with Jenny and Daisy, who were like my little sisters. And Fan Zhi had been a mother figure for me, something I had been missing for a long, long time. Even her husband had been kind and compassionate, though he wasn't very social towards me. The past two years had given me not even a second home, but a first home. It was my only home. And it was a home that I was slowly losing, as I watched it go through check-in and disappear past the corner to reach security. I guess home is never a permanent thing.

The following months were full of misery. My father had just recently gone from drinking to betting and wasting money in casinos. My brothers still went to school, but quitting would have been a better choice for them, considering how often they skipped school to terrorize families in the nearby plaza. And I was still hurting from my loss, so naturally, I wasn't thinking straight. Yet it's funny how the most life-changing choice I've ever made happened when I wasn't thinking.

It happened after I had just returned from a bout of begging in front of the same Walmart as a couple years ago. I opened the door to my family's shack only to find a grown man in a business suit staring at me. He looked as if he were in his early twenties, with a mustache and stubble on his cheeks. His dark, rectangular glasses drooped beneath the bridge of his nose, as if he were an old lady instead of a businessman. He looked somber, as if his pet had died, and he was about to ask me to bury it.

Naturally, I was very confused, so he pulled me inside and told me he needed to talk to me. He was much too tall to stand straight under our six foot tall ceiling, but he insisted in staying inside anyway. And so we did. Sometimes I wish we hadn't, but I know that if I had taken an alternate option, my life would have been at least a hundred times worse than it is now.

He went straight to the point. "I was a friend of Fan Zhi's and I have a proposition for you."

And immediately, I was game. Any friend of Fan Zhi's was a friend of mine. I owed my life to her, so I could, at the very least, listen to what her friend had to say.

He went on. "She told me that she trained you in martial arts, and I have a need for someone of that skill set right now. I know you're probably going to hate me for this, but please. Just think about it. I can pay you more than you can ever imagine."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "How about you tell me what it is before you apologize for it?"

He sighed, "I...I want you to kill someone for me."

I gasped. That was not what I was expecting, in the least. I was thinking he would ask me to train him or his kids, or even shove me into some random martial arts TV show that would make me look like an idiot. But kill someone? That was crossing the line.

Was this how Fan Zhi died? Did some random, rational-looking guy just walk up to a financially struggling person who was good at defending himself and bribe him into killing a bold, compassionate, and purely innocent woman? Did this man, standing idiotically in front of me, even consider the fact that the person he wanted killed might have been another Fan Zhi? Another sweet, innocent soul with a loving family and a promising career?

So I turned away. "If you were Fan Zhi's friend, you wouldn't be asking me to do this."

He grabbed my arm, but I slipped out of his grasp and shoved him away. "Don't ever touch me again. Now get out of my house."

But he had a desperate look in his eyes. "You don't understand. The reason I'm asking you to do this is because I'm Fan Zhi's friend."

That caught my attention. "What do you mean?"

He planted his feet firmly into the ground and stared me down, something that very few people dared to do. "The man I want you to kill is the man who took her life."

This is the part where you, the reader, start protesting loudly and calling me a complete idiot for succumbing to the desire for vengeance and being irrational. Remember how I told you I wasn't thinking?

So I did it. I studied how to use a gun. I practiced every day at the nearest shooting range, donning the disguise of a woman 10 years older than I actually was. Within a couple months, both the man and I thought I was ready. He told me that he had hired another man to lure him into an isolated warehouse, and all I had to do was shoot him. So I did it.

I thought I would feel some sort of relief after I had done the job. As if a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I was wrong. It did satisfy me, knowing that the man had been served justice. The money that I got from doing the job (which was a lot, by the way), did improve my family's state, and let us buy an actual couch, which also made me slightly happier. But I felt nothing else. The grief I felt for Fan Zhi and her family did not fade. The anger for her death that was coursing through my veins did not dissipate. The kill did nothing to ease my mental pain.

Shortly after the job was done, the man returned. He said that he was impressed at how cleanly I completed the task, and that I had a promising future ahead of me. He gifted me a knife as a reward. He also told me his name. Luke.

Luke helped me kickstart my career as an assassin. He referred me to his powerful businessman friends, and he helped me figure out which offers I should take and which were too risky, or not worth it. He is now one of the few people whom I can trust with my life.

But one thing I should tell you, now that you've judged me to be the worst person you've ever known, is that I always make sure my kills are justified. I have never failed to determine who my client really is, and why they want a certain person killed. In honor of Fan Zhi and my own moral conscience, I make sure I know the truth behind all of the people I get involved with. I have never, in my life, killed somebody who has not killed another. So, long story short, I'm not a complete crazy.

* * *

 **Percy**

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - that basically defines my life, whether I want it to or not.

My mother had me young, with her high school sweetheart who promptly left around a year after I was born. She, the angel that she is, raised me all alone from then until I was about 15, and trust me, I was not easy to handle. Then, she got engaged to a man named Paul Blofis (I personally approve - his last name sounds like blowfish). But basically, she's awesome, and I love her to death.

About the me not being easy to handle, I'm not exaggerating. Up until high school, I never attended the same school for more than a year, and it was always because of some stupid accident that was only 40% my fault. Like, for example, that time in elementary school when I accidentally blew up my school bus on a field trip? An accident with a Revolutionary War cannon, which, to be honest, shouldn't have even been loaded. Also, it's not like I wanted to destroy that bus. It was my only way home. But even though I really didn't do much, I got expelled anyway. I tried to be better the next year, but that majorly failed. Let's just say that it was my first time swimming with sharks.

But I kept trying.

My life was pretty much filled with those kind of accidents. And some on-purposes. But mostly accidents. I was an incredibly hyperactive kid, especially considering I have ADHD. And not only that, but I have dyslexia too, meaning I absolutely sucked at school. My best subject was PE, by far. I was also bullied pretty often. Much of what I know about self-defense was learned through those torturous years of getting beaten up for no reason at all. The highlight of the first half of my life was me finding my best friend, Grover, who's stood by me through every high and low point of my life. I can only hope he feels the same way about me.

Eventually, my life settled. Starting sophomore year, I managed to not get expelled, and I actually started doing better at school. My grades started improving significantly, with my GPA consistently above 3.0. I joined the swim team and was one of the toppers throughout my high school career.

I also got some version of a social life. I dated this girl named Calypso for a bit before I got a serious girlfriend, Rachel. Unfortunately, she broke up with me at the end of junior year, because she realized she didn't like me more than a really good friend. I guess the feeling was mutual? But I was still bummed out when that happened. I also got a larger, more solid friend group, and I still keep in contact with some of them to this day. Basically, I peaked in high school.

Many would probably disagree with me on that point, though. I mean, you're currently reading the story of Perseus Jackson, age 28, known for founding a company that's sweeping the world with its mission to protect aquatic animals from harmful human activities and other factors that threatens their existence.

I created Thalassa at 24, having just earned my masters in marine biology. It was a difficult project, to say the least. But I was determined to make it work. I kept trying.

And now I'm so happy with how much it's grown. I feel like a proud father. We work closely with the EPA and hold fundraisers all over the world, including the annual Triton gala, which has just begun to attract all of the biggest celebrities. We've raised an unfathomable amount of money, and we've used it to organize animal rescue operations, cleanup events, and educational presentations throughout schools across the country. Recently, I opened up a branch of our company which focuses on creating tech that will eliminate water pollution and improve our aquatic environments in various ways.

But I have this sinking feeling that Thalassa isn't heading in the right direction. It seems more like a publicity stunt than an organization that's actually making a difference in the oceans. Especially considering how much more the tabloids talk about 'my hotness' than our actual mission. I feel like, the more Thalassa grows, the less control I have over what it does. I have to factor in more people's opinions, deal with more people's arguments, and come up with one path to benefit us all. Half the time, my choice is opposed by over half the company, oftentimes for their own selfish reasons. I wish life didn't work that way.

So there I was, yesterday, at a bar, wishing that things would just magically happen for the better, instead of me repeatedly having to work my butt off to come up with some great idea or solution that I never would get acknowledged for.

I don't normally go drinking. But just this once, I needed to calm myself. I needed to feel like I wasn't carrying the weight of the sky.

I plopped myself down into the barstool, pulling my hat down low so the bartender wouldn't recognize me. "A beer, please."

He nodded and grinned at me. "Rough day?"

I shook my head. "Beyond what you could imagine."

He poured my drink and set it in front of me with a flourish. "Don't worry. Things have a way of working themselves out for the better. Just be patient."

I glanced at his nametag and smiled back at him. "I really wish that were true. Have a good day, Jeff." Then, I picked up my glass and migrated to a corner of the room, so I wouldn't have to socialize with anyone. I'm not normally like this, but last night, I just wasn't in the mood.

At least, not until I had downed my second drink, and saw a beautiful blonde walk through the door with a pocket knife shoved into her back pocket. I literally could not stop staring as she ordered her drink, and took a long, observant look around the room. Her bluish-colored eyes had a calculating look about them, as if she was searching for trouble and couldn't wait to find it. Her wavy, golden hair was pulled back into a high ponytail which barely grazed the top of her spine. And...damn. She wasn't insanely skinny like those models that you see on TV, but it's not like she was fat either. She was toned and muscular and rounded in just the right places. And somehow, just like that, I wanted more.

It wasn't often that I felt that way. Correction: I had never felt that way. Yeah, being a young guy, I've had attractions and stuff that really meant nothing except for the fact that I had hormones. But that night, just the sight of her made my skin feel like it was on fire and yet freezing cold. I felt a need beyond anything I had ever felt before. It literally put my heart on overdrive, it was beating so fast.

At some point in her analysis of her surroundings, she saw me. And she started walking towards me, and I felt like a teenager again. The 13 year-old girl inside me was squealing away, and my legs shook at a faster rate with every step she took towards me. That was when I realized, her eyes weren't blue. They were grey. Grey like the storm clouds that blocked out the sun, yet at the same time provided the rain that would sprout new life and let the plants grow to their full potential. Woah. That sounded like poetry. What was wrong with me?

The moment she seated herself beside me, I folded my hands over my lap, just in case my body decided to betray me. Nervously, I croaked, "Hey."

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and smirked, which naturally made my cheeks burst into flames. "Hello, Perseus Jackson."

I freaked and pulled my hat down to cover my eyes. If she could recognize me, then there was a high chance that someone else in the bar had too. And if they had, then they probably called the paparazzi on me. Meaning I had to sneak out asap and most likely take the long, windy backroad home.

She chuckled in her smooth, silky voice that my made my hairs stand on end. "Don't worry, Perseus. Nobody else here knows who you are. Otherwise, you would have known long ago."

I gulped, and in the most confident, lighthearted tone I could manage, I stated, "I go by Percy."

The smirk on her lips relaxed into a smile. "And I go by Annabeth. Nice to meet you."

Before I could come up with some smooth line that would make her blush instead of the other way around, Jeff the bartender called out to her to give her the drink she ordered. Obligingly, she got up from her chair and walked towards the counter. I contemplated following her, but I thought it would make me seem like some tame puppy, so I decided against it. Maybe I should have just done it. That would have prevented what happened afterward, and probably would have given me more time to talk to my mysterious Annabeth.

It was your typical old, drunk guy grabs a girl's butt and almost gets killed story. I didn't think she would actually try to use her pocket knife. But she held it to the guy's throat like it was nobody's business and shoved him away.

Jeff the bartender promptly yelled at her to get out, since there were no weapons or violence allowed in the bar. So she angrily stomped out, and me, being the enamored guy that I was, paid for both of our drinks and rushed after her. Before I could leave, Jeff called out after me, "She's trouble, son. It's best you stay away from her."

I just threw an awkward grin in his direction and slipped out the door. She may have be trouble, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Wasn't it?

So I caught up to her and said, "Well, that guy was an idiot."

She glared at me, making me think that I never wanted her to look at me like that again. "Well, so are you."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She scoffed, "Following a girl is creepy on so many levels."

I stopped in my tracks. "Oh. I just thought…"

She swiveled around and stared straight at me. Her eyes were filled with thunder. "Thought what? That I wanted your company? That I sat next to you because I so desperately wanted to talk to you, Mr. Famous Guy? Not because you were the only rational-looking guy in the whole club?"

"I'm sorry. I..."

She turned back around and stomped away. "Sniveling, stupid little male blockhead."

Thankfully, those 2 drinks weren't enough to push me out of a rational state of mind. Needless to say, I didn't follow her anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you for all of your reviews and follows! I got really excited when I saw each one!**

 **Just a warning, my updates will probably be really irregular. During the summer, I'll likely be updating more frequently, but once school starts, I may be out for months at a time. Just letting you know. :D**

 **Also, I was just rereading this to make edits, and I realized that it sounds weirdly like a last chapter. But have no fear, because this is nowhere near close to a last chapter! There's a lot more coming soon, so I hope you guys will stay tuned.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry for the weird update thingy with all the formatting marks. I don't really know what happened there. I apologize if you see some random /p 's at the end of a line.**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are only mine in my head. In reality, they're Rick Riordan's.**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

I felt bad, kicking that guy around. He seemed pretty sweet. But I needed to see how he would react. I needed to know what kind of person he was, and whether he was worthy of killing.

'Huh?' you ask. Don't worry. I'll explain.

That morning, Luke had left a message for me. "Hey Annabeth. I got a new offer for you. He's a rich guy, so he'll pay well for sure. Call me back."

So I did. Only to find out that he had set up a meeting with the client for an hour later. Hurriedly, I donned my disguise. The brown wig, the brown-colored contacts, and the full face of makeup that made me seem...not like me. I grabbed my pocket-knife, my handgun, and a satchel in case I was in the mood for a down payment. Then I shut the door to my apartment and called a taxi to drive me to the meeting place - a coffee shop with a deserted alleyway nearby for any necessary transactions. When I entered, he was already there.

James Thorn. Businessman who owned hundreds of hotels across the country. Thornton Suites. I had stayed in one of them for a job in New York City, because my client thought it would be a great idea to pay for my accommodations so he would have to pay me less in the actual check. I don't really know the point of that, but it was thoughtful. I just don't like it when they do that, because it means they have control over where I stay and what I do. And I hate interacting with my clients other than for the initial request and the payment. Not surprising, considering that most of them are criminals or overall bad people.

Anyways, I had a feeling this one would be interesting. He looked frantic. There were stress lines on his forehead, as if this particular victim had dragged him through hell. Good. He probably deserved it anyway.

I walked up to him and whispered the code word, which he had requested I say to confirm that it wasn't some random guy who felt like talking to him. Necessary safety precautions. He then whispered back, "Perseus Jackson. There's only one of him, so if you need info, look it up. I have a time limit, within two weeks."

I smirked. This client was really scared, to be talking in sentence fragments. He was probably a first-timer. Meaning his victim was probably someone who ticked him off real bad. People are typically really reluctant to enter this business, and only enter it if they really, really have to. "Payment?"

"Half a million."

If I were a little less careful, my jaw would have dropped. That amount was crazy. If I got that kind of money, I would be set for life. I could even pay for college and become what I've always wanted to be: an architect. Gods, if I completed this job, I wouldn't need to be an assassin anymore.

Considering the desperation and rush he was in, I decided that trying for a little more wouldn't hurt. "Give me three quarters."

He puffed, "Done. Let's go somewhere we can't be seen, and I'll give you the first half."

But I gave him my typical answer. "I need a couple days."

Thorn scrunched his eyebrows together. "That's going to lower it to 6."

"Fine." I snapped. "But Luke should have told you. My precondition has always been that I need a few days before I confirm."

Thorn blinked. "Fine."

I glared at him for good measure, just to show him who's boss, but I left with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I was getting paid so much for this job that it was too good to be true. What if this job cost me much more than what I was getting?

I didn't want to think about that. This offer deserved some celebrating. But first, I had a couple stops to make.

There it was. Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters.

Leo had been a really good friend of mine for a while. We met by chance one day, when I was doing some 'research' on my client's target. I went on to learn that he was basically a genius when it came to mechanics and engineering. I had taken a lucky guess that he was equally as good at computers, and thankfully, I was right. For a share of my income, Leo now serves as my 'personal researcher.' He looks into both the target and the client's backgrounds, and helps me find out why I've been hired to kill. And I never kill without knowing why. That's why I always ask for a few days before I say yes to a client. I need to know whether my kill will be justified.

Which is why I went to Leo's repair shop that day. I needed to know why I was killing this Perseus Jackson. It was a pity. He had such a cool name.

The moment I opened the door, a machine santa started singing "Jingle Bells," even though Christmas had been 5 months ago. I heard a loud voice exclaim, "Come in. Come in, hermana. It's been a while."

I grinned at Leo. As a teenager, he'd been short and scrawny, but now he'd grown quite tall. He was still pretty lanky, but he overshot me by at least 5 inches. His curly brown hair stuck up in random directions behind his welding goggles, and his apron was covered with oil stains and char marks. How he managed to get set on fire so often, I have no idea. "New client. He's probably a first-timer."

I could see the mischievous look building behind his brown eyes. "Indeed. Are you getting some good money?"

I walked up to him so that no unsuspecting customer would hear our conversation. "Six hundred grand."

Leo's eyes lit up. "Oh. My. Gods. Who's the guy?"

"James Thorn. The target is some guy named Perseus Jackson. He has a cool name, I'll give him that."

Leo promptly dropped his screwdriver and stared at me in shock. "Are you kidding?"

"Huh?"

"Percy Jackson? That guy is really famous and really cool too. His company works to save the oceans and all that. And he's supposedly really good-looking. Why would Thorn want you to get him? He's supposed to be a solid guy. And I think Calypso dated him once in high school too. She's a really good judge of character, if I do say so myself." He then dusted himself off as if he were some cool kid.

That wiped the smile off my face. Why would Thorn want to kill a charity worker? "Okay, so can you look into Thorn and Jackson, and find out what Thorn would have against him? Look hard. I don't want to skip out on a six-hundred thousand dollar opportunity unless absolutely necessary. Also, would you be okay with me talking to Calypso about him?"

Leo blinked and nodded. "Sure. She's in the kitchen. Just don't use your typical interrogation methods. I'll get as much dirt as I can to you by tomorrow, but I just really don't know what Jackson could have done wrong."

So I made my way inside, and found none other than Calypso working on a couple omelettes for her customers. And I have to be honest. I was jealous. Calypso was a beautiful girl, with brownish-auburn hair and wide brown eyes that could make a guy melt. Her lips and skin were practically perfect, no makeup needed. She was literally goals. It was a wonder that she wasn't an international supermodel. She lived with the man she loved (who wasn't much, but still), and achieved her lifelong dream. She was living the life she had always wanted, which was more than enough to make me envious.

I had always been reluctant to follow my own dream of being an architect, for one main reason. I had never actually been to school. The entirety of my childhood was spent either begging, babysitting, or killing. The reason I knew my way around typical school subjects was more of a Matilda-like story. I had visited the library very often as a kid, especially with my mother, who loved learning. My daily visits only ended after my father became a drunk, and I was forced to take care of Bobby and Matthew instead. After my brothers matured enough to get themselves jobs (3 years ago), I found myself getting into the same routine as I had been in as a 3 year-old. And I haven't stopped. I haven't read the entire library yet, but maybe in another 2 years.

So if I show up at some architecture firm with no college degree, or even a high school diploma, I'm sure to be kicked out within seconds. I mean, sure, I'm smart enough, but I don't have the paperwork to prove it.

Back to Calypso. She greeted me with a radiant smile, and went for a hug. "Hi, Annabeth! It's been so long! What brings you here?"

I gave her a slight smile, hoping she wouldn't give me that disappointed look she always did. "I've got another client. And this one seems interesting."

Unfortunately, I got that disappointed look from her. "Annabeth, you could be doing so much more with your life, but I'm sure you've heard that talk from me over a million times. Why is this one interesting?"

I grimaced. "Well, it involves somebody you used to know. Do you remember Perseus Jackson?"

Calypso thought for a second, and then chuckled. "Oh my gods. Percy? He was the sweetest guy when I dated him, but the breakup was mutual. He and I didn't really fit well together."

I raised an eyebrow mischievously, eliciting a "No! I did not mean it that way and you know that."

I just laughed and told her to keep going./p

"But yeah, he was really nice and always treated me well. But he was oblivious as heck. Like, I don't know how to describe it. He just couldn't take a hint. He's not stupid. Just… no common sense, I guess. I mean, it's not like Leo's any different, but..."

I grinned at that. He must have annoyed the heck out of Calypso. "Sounds great."

She laughed. "Now that I think about it, you two might make a great couple. Opposites attract, right?" As I shook my head vigorously, she continued. "Anyways, why do you ask? Does he want you to kill someone? That doesn't seem like something he would do, unless he's changed."

I kept shaking my head, except slower. That was when Calypso gasped. "Somebody wants you to kill him?"

I stopped my head from moving, and looked at her with a somber look on my face. "I'm hearing from both Leo and you that he's a good guy, so I really don't think I should accept this job. But I'm conflicted, because if I do agree, the amount he's paying will set me up for life. I need help, Calypso. I don't know whether to value logic or morals for this one."

She gave me a sad smile. "If I were you, I'd shut the client down, right away. Money's not worth killing an innocent man who's trying to make a difference in the world. There are other ways to find what you want in life. Besides, look at me. This business doesn't give me a lot of money, but I'm happy. I wouldn't trade this for a million dollars. Don't try to buy happiness, Annabeth."

I nodded. Maybe she was right. I would much rather kill ten cruel murderers than one decent rich guy, no matter how much money the jobs gave me. If this Perseus kid was really that amazing, then I had no choice but to say no to the offer.

But I didn't want to say no for nothing. Before I called Thorn to decline, I needed to make sure that Leo and Calypso's testimonies matched up with the man the world knew today. I wanted to meet him. I asked Calypso if she knew where I could. I didn't get much, but I didn't blame her, considering she hadn't seen him for 10 years.

But when I asked Leo the same question, he gave me an address in 5 minutes, using his superior internet-searching abilities.

And that's how I ended up getting kicked out of my very first bar.

I entered as silently as I could, praying that he would be here tonight. My intention was purely to go inside, look for my target, shove him around a little, and get out. I did not want to stay for any longer than I needed to, especially on a Friday night, in a bar with old men. I might have ended up killing someone unintentionally. Thankfully, that hadn't happened before.

In an attempt to act inconspicuous, I ordered a drink before scanning the room. There was a young couple who looked pretty harmless, a group of drunk old men (yuck), and… ah. There we go.

In the corner of the room, a young man sat at a four seat table, in the chair farthest away from everybody else, as if he didn't want to be seen. A cap hung low over his face, and dark hair peeked out from under the cap's sides. His hands were messing with his glass of what looked like beer, but those beautiful eyes were staring straight at me. My heart leapt.

Earlier this evening, I had taken the opportunity to do some Perseus Jackson researching of my own. And somehow, I spent 15 minutes on Google Images, just staring at pictures of his eyes. They were the brightest green I had ever seen, and they were beyond hypnotizing. His eyes were like a whirlpool, dragging anything and everything to the bottom of the ocean. The very sight of them had dragged my brain into some depth that rendered it useless for the next hour or so. And by that, I mean I started looking up his dating history. Horrific, right?

But his eyes were so much more beautiful in real life. The bar's lighting exaggerated the shades in his eyes, making the bright streaks brighter and the dark flecks even darker. I almost fell into that abyss again.

Thankfully, I realized what my brain was doing to me before it could shut down, and I forced myself to keep my cool. In an attempt to keep an air of confidence, I swaggered towards the corner and sat down next to him. No doubt I looked like a psychotic penguin.

I would have aborted my mission right then and there, if I hadn't noticed the paralyzed look on his face. It was almost as if he was surprised that a girl would approach him. How could that even be possible? Given his looks, he could score supermodels with little to no effort.

Of course, when I addressed him by name, the effect was ruined. The expression on his face morphed into alarm as he frantically pulled his baseball cap over his eyes. He glanced around the room to confirm that he hadn't betrayed his cover and then stared at me with raised eyebrows, wondering how I knew his name. In an attempt to calm him down, I stammered something about nobody finding him out, but it probably sounded lamer out loud than in my head.

He responded in a deep, smooth voice that raised my arm hairs on end. "I go by Percy."

Percy. It was such an uncommon name, but I found myself thinking it sounded cute. I could definitely get used to saying that name.

What was I even thinking? It had to be those eyes.

I mentally facepalmed myself and replied, "And I go by Annabeth. Nice to meet you."

And then I gave myself another scolding, because I should have given him a false name. Now he would have some means to track me down and put me in jail if he ever found out what I was doing. What was it about this boy that made me so unable to think?

Suddenly, I heard my name being called from behind the counter. Silently, I thanked whatever supernatural beings were favoring me today and walked to the bartender. I could finally recover from that being that mess I was in front of Percy. Speaking of which, I needed to test his patience and find out how kind he really was.

But when that drunk old guy grabbed my butt, it was my turn to get my patience tested. And unfortunately, I had none. I reacted instinctively, drawing my pocket knife and holding it to his throat. "Touch me again, and you'll be too dead to be sorry."

The bartender immediately freaked. "Hey, hey, hey! No weapons allowed in the bar! Go satisfy your violent needs somewhere else."

I gaped at him in shock, still comprehending what I had just done. He scrunched his eyebrows together. "What are you still staring at me for? Get lost! I'm not dealing with any injuries today."

I bit my lip and stormed out of the bar, making it a point to push the door as hard as I could. I was acting like a complete idiot today, and I didn't even know why. First, I act like a blabbering blockhead in front of Percy, and then I threaten a random stranger with a knife? I was letting my guard down much too easily, and I had to fix this before something bad happened.

In the midst of my stormy thoughts, I heard the pattering of Converses on the pavement. I looked behind me to see Percy himself attempting to match my pace. Once he caught up with me, he muttered, "Well, that guy was an idiot."

And I was just so pissed at myself that I took it all out on him. And after I had finished my furious rant and left him in the dust, I started to feel ashamed. I just broke that poor guy's pride to make myself feel better, nothing more. I was a real big bully.

But then I remembered what I came to the bar for. And somehow, without even realizing it, I completed my mission. Even when facing an angry Annabeth, which was the worst someone could ever face, he remained patient and sweet. He never once lashed back out at me, even though I had insulted him at least a couple times. And that was the kind of guy who I could never kill. No matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! This one's a short chapter, but it's kinda needed to connect some upcoming events. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Also, thank you to those who reviewed, especially Shauna Kullden. Your reviews made me smile!**

 **Also, I would really appreciate some suggestions about what to improve in my writing and the storyline. Plus, I want to find a way to incorporate Malcolm in here, but I have no idea how. I have plans for a lot of other characters, though. Malcolm's pretty much the only one who I still need to put in. If you guys have any feedback about how I should do stuff, please let me know!**

 **Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns these guys.**

* * *

 **Percy**

Grover was the best. The moment he read my text (which outright stated that I got rejected by my first girl), he convinced his wife Juniper into letting him come over. Not only that, but he got my cousin Nico and his boyfriend Will to accompany him. What better friend could a guy ask for?

Of course, that's leaving out the fact that the three of them basically ransacked the outside of my apartment trying to look for my spare keys.

But after 15 minutes of battering up my own self-esteem on the walk home, I felt beyond relieved to be back at home in the company of my best friends.

Speaking of my home, many people would be surprised to find that a man of my success lived in such a small apartment. But I loved it. I spent a majority of my life in an apartment just like this with my amazing mom and eventually Paul. I grew fond of that kind of environment, so I decided to buy my own apartment a couple blocks away from her. That way, I could stay close to her, but still establish my independence. Besides, it's not like I need a huge house, being the only person who lives in it. And I've been happily living in this apartment for 7 years.

So I opened the door to the shocking but lovely sight of Grover sitting on the carpet, playing Mythomagic against Nico and his cheerleader, Will. Naturally, Nico was winning.

"It's so not fair! How come you get the god Pan and I don't?"

Nico grinned. "Because I'm more awesome than you. Deal with it, goat-butt."

I laughed. "Goat-butt? Where did you get that from?"

All three of the guys looked up and greeted me with smiles on their faces. _So much better than how Annabeth did_ , I thought.

Nico was the first to talk about it. "So, I hear some girl rejected you."

I looked down at my feet. "You don't know the half of it."

Will exclaimed, "Well, tell us the other half. I'm a doctor. I heal people. There's no way I won't be able to fix this."

So I told them the story. Afterward, Will predictably stated, "I'm done. There's no way I can fix this."

Nico responded with a smirk. "Thanks for showing him, Percy."

I half-heartedly smiled back at him, but it was Grover's reaction I was waiting for. He always had a knack for reading emotions. If anybody could tell me what I did wrong, he could.

Grover chewed his lip and thought for a minute, trying to drown out the noise of Will and Nico teasing each other. Then he made eye contact with me. "It's not your fault, Percy. You did the best you could. I think, more than anything, it's something wrong with her life that made her react that way. She's probably just taking it out on you."

"But what could possibly be so stressful that she won't even talk to me?"

He smiled. "That's for you to find out, young padawan. Now screw this sentimental stuff. We're going to play the heck out of Mario Kart today. Pizza should come in a couple minutes and I know for sure that you've got ice cream in your freezer."

Suddenly, a female voice came from the direction of the door. "Then let's get this party started."

I whipped my head to the right to see none other than my favorite couple (sorry, Solangelo), Hazel and Frank, walk through the door. Hazel, who happened to be my secretary, had a huge grin on her face, and Frank just looked confused. Then again, he looked like that most of the time.

Grover yelled in excitement. "Hazel! Frank! I thought you guys were on a date!"

Frank complained, "That's what I thought too, but the moment she heard Percy's 'emergency,' she rushed over here."

Hazel waved him off. "We spend enough of our nights together, anyway, and it's not every day Percy's interested in a girl."

Nico groaned. "Nooooo! TMI, sis."

Will tsked while stroking his boyfriend's hair. "Well, it's not like that doesn't apply to us too. Now we just need to find Percy someone to spend the night with."

"What? No, guys. Let's just forget about this. Hazel said it herself. It's time to party, right?"

Hazel gave me a knowing smile. "Sure, Percy. But believe it or not, you deserve someone to be with, and we're not going to rest until you find her. By the way, Jason's busy with Olympus Airlines, so he can't come."

I nodded. Jason was training like crazy, as the heir to the empire his dad built. It had been a while since I last saw him. I made a mental note to invite him out somewhere within the next week.

The night went on raucously, but I didn't feel like joining in. Instead, I spent the night thinking about what Grover said and what Hazel said and everything in between. I wondered when I would meet this girl of my dreams, and whether this Annabeth was the girl of my dreams or whether I should just give up and move on to somebody who didn't make me melt into a giant puddle of slush.

Just like that, my mind faded into sleep, lulled by the sounds of grown men screaming about Mythomagic and their so-called boring lives.

My eyes fluttered open, only to close shut when I saw the bright light streaming in through the windows. Wait… bright light? Was today Saturday? No, it was not. Should there be bright light coming through my window at 7:00 in the morning? No, there shouldn't be.

Alarmed, I rolled off of my bed and glanced at my Nemo wall clock. Shiz. I was supposed to be at work an hour ago.

I stumbled over to my closet, dodging the piles of notebooks and dirty laundry lying on my floor. Frantically, I grabbed the first shirt-pant combo I could find and shoved myself into them. I was already behind on paperwork. There was no way I wasn't going to get in trouble this time.

Not bothering to comb my hair, I rushed out the door, raced down the stairs, and pulled my car out of the parking lot. And of course, today was the perfect day for traffic to jam up the streets. There was no way I was getting to the office until 10:00. Great. Just great.

I slammed my head on the steering wheel in frustration, only to accidentally honk the horn. I am just so darn lucky, aren't I?

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate furiously in my pocket. Fumbling, I plucked it out of my pants and swiped right to accept the call. It automatically transferred to my bluetooth. "Hello?"

It was Hazel. "Percy? Where are you?"

I sighed. "Hazel, I'm so sorry. I slept in last night, and I'm on my way right now but the traffic is seriously killing me right now. I don't think I'll be there for at least another half hour."

Hazel worriedly whispered, "Okay. That's cool. But have you heard the news?"

"News? What news?"

"Percy, um, I'm sorry."

"What is it?"

Hazel hesitated. "I'm so sorry, Percy. It's Silena. Her cancer took her."

I dropped my phone. Silena. Silena Beckendorf. Silena, who had been there for me whenever I needed her, especially when it was about love and feelings, which I was never very good at handling. Silena, who had suffered through her husband's tragic death and the loss of her baby at the same time. Silena, who put all of her effort into benefits for police officers other public servicemen, so she could feel at the slightest level that she was making a difference in honor of her brave, selfless husband. Oh gods, Silena.

She had been suffering from breast cancer for a while now. But whenever I visited her at the hospital, she always kept hope. She sounded so alive and excited all the time. She constantly talked about what she would do when she "got out of this hellhole."

So I believed her. I believed that she would defeat her cancer and put herself out in the world again. I believed that I would be able to see her walking around with a smile on her face, talking animatedly and just making everybody feel welcome. The way she always could.

She did not deserve to die.

Hazel's voice echoed through my car's speaker. "Percy?"

I couldn't talk. Silena was one of my best friends, and one of the few people that I could trust my life with. She was an absolute angel. A neat-freak angel, but still an angel.

Tears began to slip down my cheek, but I didn't have the heart to wipe them away.

Hazel gently whispered, "She was brave, and she was the kindest person I knew. She will be remembered, Percy. And maybe it's better this way. She'll be back with Charles."

I smiled. Hazel was right. Ever since Beckendorf had died, Silena was all alone, with nobody to comfort her and nobody to heal her. Her father had passed away a couple years before, and her mother was still out there doing who knows what. She had mentioned to me that she invested herself in her work because it was the only way she knew how to keep her mind off of her sorrows. At least now, she didn't have to bear the weight of them anymore.

Hazel calmly stated, "Come back to the office. We'll talk then. Besides, you have a lot of work to do today. And you've got that meeting at 3:00 with Mr. Thorn about the underwater hotel. I have a feeling that's going to be a doozy."

I laughed through my tears. A doozy, indeed.

"Bye, Hazel. See you soon."

For the rest of the trip, I calmed myself with memories that I shared with Silena and Charles Beckendorf and prayed to the gods that they would find the happiness they deserved.

Around an hour later, I raced out of the elevator and dashed into the hall that held my office. On the way, I saw Hazel, who looked at me as if I were a ghost. "Oh my, Percy. Your hair!"

I stared at her in a confused manner. "My hair?"

Hazel facepalmed. "Percy, you look like you ran through a car wash on 2 hours of sleep."

I grinned at her, mentally making a note to wash my face and clear my teary, red eyes. "That's what I was going for. Doesn't it look smoldering?" I ran my hand through my hair for good measure.

She shoved me towards my office. "I would tell you to clean up, but you're going to end up looking worse at the end of the day, so there's no point. Go work. And you've got to finish that paperwork for the gala by tonight or they're going to make you delay the date."

Gods, Hazel was great. She was the only reason I was capable of being CEO. She had supported me through every step of the way, and I couldn't imagine life without her.

Nodding, I pushed the glass door to my office open. Before I could make another move, Hazel called after me, "Percy."

I turned back to face her.

"Just so you know, just before everything happened, Silena was visiting the kids in the ER. She bought toys for them and everything. She was a hero until the end."

Great. Of course she had to go and say that. Now I was going to start bawling my eyes out even more.

I quickly turned away, so Hazel wouldn't see the tears already streaming down my cheeks. Mentally cursing myself, I shuffled into my office and pulled my chair out. If I kept this up, there was no way I would be getting any work done.

Five hours and a stack of paperwork later, I sat at my desk, very impatiently waiting for this guy for a meeting. James Thorn. He was the owner of a very popular hotel group and was seeking to create an underwater hotel in one of our protected areas. Men like him only understood how to make a profit. He didn't understand that the area he wanted to destroy was where one of the last few coral reefs thrived. If he destroyed that area, one, he would basically kill 90 percent of the coral, which could lead to potential losses in tourism. Two, thousands, if not millions, of animals would die because of habitat loss. Three, the coastline of that area, which was subject to pretty bad storms pretty often, would become more easily flooded. And those were only a few of impacts.

But of course, all that mattered to this guy was money.

He had contacted me a couple months ago, asking me to sell him the land. I refused, quoting all of the reasons above. In response, that selfish idiot ramped up the price he was willing to pay for it. Finally, he had realized that bribery wasn't going to work, so he scheduled this meeting with me.

But I was nervous. What if he resorted to something else? Something worse than bribery? Businessmen were known to be the nastiest, most conniving people in the industry. What if he tried to take the land from me forcefully?

I may be stubborn, but what if I didn't have the means to prevent bad things from happening?

Hazel's voice jerked me from my thoughts. "They're coming in, like, five seconds. Security tells me they're in the elevator."

I looked up at her. "Well, they're half an hour late. This better be worth my time."

Hazel grinned at me. "We both know it's not going to be."

I shrugged, noticing a stout, bearded man coming up behind her. Thorn, I thought. I had to prevent myself from rolling my eyes when I saw that he was being closely followed by a tall, bulky bodyguard.

I rose from my chair and walked up to him. "Hello. Mr. Thorn, I presume?"

The beer-bellied man gave me a taut smile and shook my outstretched hand. "That's me. I hope you know what I'm here for."

I pulled out a chair for him so he could sit down. "Unfortunately, I do. I really wish we could see eye to eye on this issue."

Thorn seated himself and nodded. "So do I. You know, your concern for the environment is touching. But the world is ephemeral. Someday, it will no longer be able to sustain us. And that would have happened with or without human involvement."

I sat back in my chair and leaned back. "That's true, Mr. Thorn. But you can't deny that humans have sped up the process. And what I'm trying to do with this company is to reverse the effects for as long as possible, so that our children will be able to live in a safer world. With a strong focus on the oceans, of course."

"I'm sure some people would argue that, knowing our existence is limited, we should make the most of it."

I smiled at him. "And surely, there are better ways to do that than building a hotel in the middle of an endangered coral reef. Plus, you haven't given me any sketches. I have no proof whatsoever that this endeavor of yours will be worth it. And quite frankly, no building is worth our oceans."

I could feel Thorn seething underneath his fake smile and stiff posture. This meeting was not going the way that he planned. That much was obvious.

"Mr. Jackson. I believe you attended a total of ten schools throughout your lifetime? And not because you were simply moving."

I beamed at him. "Yep. And I'm proud. It certainly made me stand out on my college application."

"Considering you were quite the problem child, I trust you know what it feels like to be punished."

"Definitely," I nodded. Was he going to go there?

Thorn leaned forward, almost as if he were threatening me. "Well, I've dealt with plenty of problematic people throughout my career. Do you want to know how I manage them?"

Oh, he just went there.

But it didn't make sense to me. Why did he want to get that land so badly as to threaten me? There was no way the land could bring him that much profit.

I got up from behind my desk. "Well, I'm sure that I'll find out, because I plan to be the most problematic problem you've ever met with when it comes to protecting the oceans. Now, I haven't eaten my lunch yet, so if you'll excuse me." I walked around Thorn's bodyguard and opened the door to my office, inviting him out. "Would you like to join me?"

This time, he didn't try to hide the rage in his eyes. He shoved past me and stormed out the door.

Thorn's bodyguard, however, was far more hesitant. "You know he's not joking."

I gave him a terse nod. "I know."

The bodyguard smiled at me. "I knew I liked you for a reason. I'm Chris. Nice to meet you."

I relaxed my shoulders and grinned at him. "Nice to meet you too. See you around, Chris."

Well, at least one good thing came out of today.

But Chris was right. I knew I had to be careful. Thorn didn't seem like the kind of guy to go back on his promises. Most likely, he was going to try and hurt me. I could handle that, but I needed someone to consult, to minimize the casualties. I decided to go ask a special someone about that. An old family friend. It had been so long since I had seen him, so a visit was surely due.

But first, I had to go eat my very late lunch.


	4. Chapter 4

Another short chapter. I promise, the exciting stuff is coming soon. :D

Again, if you guys have any pointers for me, I would really appreciate any feedback!

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me.

* * *

 **Annabeth**

I spent the rest of the next day moping around, waiting for Leo to contact me about any possible dirt on Percy Jackson. Once I received the call about an underwater hotel dispute between him and Thorn, I have to admit I got disappointed. It felt like a sin to give up such a great opportunity. But on the other hand, there was no way I was going to kill an innocent man who was trying to make a difference.

Speaking of which, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I had treated him like shit yesterday, that much was obvious. But despite that, he had still remained kind. He hadn't snapped back, like half the people I knew would do. That in itself made me want to get to know him. It was almost like a magnet, thoughts constantly gravitating towards him and him alone. And on top of that, the thought of him kept giving me this weird, stomach-turning feeling...

Eventually, I dragged myself off of the couch and texted Piper, a close friend of mine. As soon as I did, I regretted it. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Annabeth: Hey, I kinda have something I want to talk about with you. Are you free?

Piper: 1) I'm working, but feel free to come and distract me. 2) It's a boy, isn't it?

Annabeth: ...you are so creepy

Piper: IT IS! Yesssssssss. *happy dances* Tell me all about it. I'm at Rosie's. Shift ends in an hour so come rn

I have no idea how Piper had that internal premonition whenever I consulted her about girl talk, but I learned from experience that talking about boys with Piper often led to a conversation that I would regret for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, she was the only girl I knew who had good advice on that kind of stuff. Thalia distanced herself from anyone of the male gender; she often told me to give them up and get a life. Calypso always told me to do really old-fashioned stuff like sending a love letter. Considering her recommendations, I have no clue how she managed to score in the love category.

Those were really all of my close girl friends. The rest of them either didn't know my profession and/or didn't really care about me. And I was completely fine with that. I had always preferred a smaller circle of friends as opposed to a large one. It was easier for us to lean upon each other, and it allowed me to forge closer bonds with them. There was hardly a detail that I didn't know about Thalia, Calypso, or Piper.

Sighing to myself, I called a taxi to take me to Rosie's diner, which was where Piper worked to get some extra money. It helped her pay her rent, considering the small amount of projects she was working on in Hollywood. She had followed in her father's footsteps as an actress, but she wasn't a big name yet. Key word: yet. Piper had the skills to knock her audience's socks off. She just didn't want to show them off.

As soon as I walked into the diner, I realized that my luck for today had run out.

Casually sitting in a four-person booth, all by himself, was Percy Jackson. I could recognize those eyes anywhere, and he was wearing the same cap as the day before.

He was feasting on what looked like 2 combo meals? There was no way he could eat that all by himself. But then again, considering how muscular he was…

I shook my head and darted towards the counter, praying that he wouldn't notice me. Unfortunately, my master plan failed when Piper, who had been busy serving a couple by the door, yelled across the restaurant, "Annabeth! There you are! I was wondering what took you so long."

I took a sideways glance at Percy's booth, hoping that Piper's voice hadn't reached him. No such luck. He was staring right at me.

Alarmed, I jerked my eyes back to Piper and yanked my thumb towards the counter, silently gesturing to her that I wanted to talk in private. In response, Piper's eyes widened, and she nodded her head in a discreet manner. Thank the gods she understood me.

As I seated myself on the barstool, Piper calmly finished giving her clients their meals and walked back to the counter with question marks in her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Piper, I have the worst luck."

"You mean that the guy you wanted to talk to me about rejected you within the last thirty minutes. Either that, or he's right here. In this room."

I exasperatedly whispered, "Option 2."

Piper excitedly jumped in place and started scanning the room. "Really? Where is he? Hmmmmm…oh my gosh." She reestablished eye contact with me. "Is he the one in booth nine? He keeps glancing at you. He's also hot."

I tried my best not to look back at Percy, instead shoving my face in my hands. "Yeah. Piper? I need advice. One, that guy's name is Perseus Jackson, the really famous rich dude. Two, a client asked me to kill him. Three, I was trying to investigate stuff for the offer, and in the process, I was really rude to him, so he probably hates me. Four, this is probably just some stupid celebrity crush, but somehow, after just one day, I feel crazily attracted to him. What is wrong with me?"

Piper's jaw dropped. Clearly, she did not anticipate such a complicated situation. "Annabeth, I have no words."

I smiled. "I predicted you would say that."

She didn't return my expression. "Are you going to take the offer?"

I responded, "Most likely, no."

Piper let out a huge sigh of relief. "Then talk to him. If you're feeling something for him, and honestly, I wouldn't blame you for it, then you're not going to get anything out of shunning him. Take a risk and apologize. Maybe something great will come out of it. At the very least, you'll take a blow to your extensive pride, and he'll walk out of your life forever. Nothing too bad. So just do it."

I complained, "But Piper..."

Piper grabbed my wrists and looked into my eyes with a serious look on her face. "Do it, Annabeth. Or I'll do it for you."

I raised my eyebrows in shock. "You wouldn't."

She gave me a Cheshire cat grin. "Oh, you know I would."

We had a short staring contest, which I would typically win, but this time, Piper wouldn't back down. I groaned. "Fine. But just to be clear, I hate you."

Piper beamed at me. "I hate you too! Now go have some fun."

But this was not fun. Not in the least. There was a very, very high probability that Percy would reject my apology. What would he judge me as? Some desperate schmuck who sucked up to famous people? A flirtatious blonde who like toying around with boys? There were limitless possibilities, and most likely, the girl he pinned me as would not be the girl I actually was.

But Piper was right. In the event that he started hating me even more, we wouldn't see each other again, so I didn't need to worry about what impression I made on him. It wouldn't affect either of us in the future.

Painstakingly, I trudged towards Percy's booth, eyes trained on the ground, the ceiling, anywhere but at him.

He spoke first. I could almost feel those bright green eyes dissecting the purpose behind my visit. "So, the girl has finally decided to talk to the stupid male blockhead."

Before my confidence fully abandoned me, I looked at him and declared, "That's actually what I came to apologize to you about."

I could see the turmoil within those eyes, but surprisingly, there was no anger. What was that emotion? Annoyance? Hatred?

Percy replied in a self-loathing tone, "But why? Are you scared that I'm going to chase after you? Track you down and make you pay?"

I stayed silent, attempting to decipher how to phrase the sentence "I don't want my crush to hate me" in a non-creepy way. Unfortunately, he took my reticence the wrong way.

He smirked. "Yeah. That's what I thought. If you really think I'm that kind of guy, then I don't want your apology."

Before he could turn away from me completely, I blurted, "Can I sit down?"

He seemed taken aback, but he gestured towards the seat as if he were saying, go ahead.

Gratefully, I sat across from him and began the formal apology that I had rehearsed in my head. "I know you probably hate me after what I said to you, and I genuinely am sorry for that. I hope you'll forgive me..."

"Stop." He interrupted, holding a palm up. "You sound like a robot. What do you really want to say? And don't read off a script this time."

I wanted to say so much to him. I wanted to say that I was strangely attracted to him and wished to get to know him better. I wanted to say that I appreciated what he was doing to make a difference in this world, but people hated him because of it. I wanted to say that the people who hated him were going to go so far as to get him killed to get what they wanted.

But none of that would logically work in an inter-stranger conversation like this. Staring at his burger, I began off the top of my head, "I really, truly, honestly, want to be your friend. Regardless of how famous you are, I don't want a perfectly decent guy hating my guts because I was angry and emotional and PMSing, and I screwed up real badly. So if you're willing, I'll buy you a drink. Or a coffee. On me. Just give me the chance to make up for how I was yesterday."

And when I looked up, seconds later, I saw a huge grin on his face. He was smiling. And he looked so freaking cute too, like a toddler who had just been given his favorite toy. That was when I realized that the emotion I had detected in his eyes earlier wasn't anger. It was loneliness. He felt that everyone around him only wanted to use him to get something that they wanted. The way I had treated him must have made that feeling worse. He must have thought that I only talked to him for my own entertainment. Nobody should have to live like that.

The amusement in his voice was unmistakable. "If you had stopped before the PMS, I would have accepted that apology all the same."

I shyly smiled back at him. "Well, I thought it was a good attention-getter."

He chuckled, a deep, lighthearted sound that I found myself craving to hear again. "You thought right."

"So about my offer…?"

He thought for a second, making my heart leap in anticipation. "Sure. I'd love to. But only on one condition."

The smile dissolved from my face. "What?"

"I will pay for our coffees. Not you."

Oh heck no. I shook my head vigorously. "Not a chance. The deal is off if you pay for it."

Percy feigned insult. "I can't believe you. It's only proper that the guy pays."

I stated, "Well, screw propriety. I'm buying you a coffee whether you like it or not. You coming?"

But he just sat there, smiling at me. The hairs on my arms stood up under his watchful gaze. "What?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm coming. Let me just get my table cleared out." Then, he pushed himself up to a standing position, using the table as support. Of course, I didn't notice how that made the veins in his arms stand out or how his biceps bulged. I also didn't notice how attractive his walk was as he lumbered to the trash can to throw away his meal's wrapping paper. And the gracefulness and the length of his fingers as he fumbled with his bag of leftovers? Who cared?

As he was cleaning up, I glanced back at the counter to see if Piper was still there. Surprisingly, she was standing right behind the cash register with her eyes focused on Percy and I, as if she were eyeballing our every interaction. As soon as I made eye contact with her, she winked at me and mouthed something incomprehensible.

 _What?_ I mouthed back.

Piper just waved me off and gave me a thumbs up. Good luck? Yeah, right. I was probably going to make a fool out of myself.

In an attempt to keep up the good spirits, I gave her an awkward smile and turned my attention back to Percy, who was shoving his phone into his back pocket. It took all of my willpower not to look over there.

Once he was ready to go, he held out his elbow so I could hook my arm into his. In response, I lightly pushed him away. This was purely a platonic meeting. Redemption, really. There was no way I was going to get closer to him than I absolutely needed to. If I did, then I might not be able to keep away.

Percy shrugged and opened the door for me before walking out himself. What was he? The king of ancient manners?

In an attempt to start a conversation, I asked him, "Were you eating a midday snack, or what?"

He hesitated before stating, "No. That was my lunch."

I stared at him, shocked. "Lunch? It's like, 4:30! Why so late?"

He peered at me out of the corner of his eye. "I had work to do. And a meeting."

I shoved my hands in my pocket and nodded. "How's being the CEO at twenty-something years old treating you?"

He smirked. "Oh, don't act like you don't know how old I am. You've probably looked me up at some point."

My stomach flipped over. He had no idea how right he was. I had researched him extensively. For studying purposes, obviously. I was just reading up on him to figure out if I should accept Thorn's offer.

I just glanced at him uncomfortably and shrugged. His smile only widened in response.

Suddenly, he turned his head to look at me straight-on. His eyes were particularly bright today. "Since you already know what the world has to know about me, let's talk about you. I know nothing about you. What do you do for a living?"

I imperceptibly stiffened, but immediately forced myself to relax. I couldn't risk him thinking that was a touchy subject. Then he would surely judge me. He would probably think I was a stripper or something.

Obviously, I couldn't tell him the truth. Instead, I told him my dream job. The one I had been wanting to have since I still had a mother. "I'm an architect. Not very successful though."

"You mean, not yet. I bet you're really good at your job. You seem like you would be."

My voice caught in my throat. That was almost exactly what Luke told me about my actual job. I choked out a short "Maybe."

We made some more small talk until we finally reached the nearest Starbucks. Once again, Percy opened the door for me.

I grumbled, "I can open the door too. I am perfectly capable."

Percy just chuckled, and we both walked in, seating ourselves on a table for two in the corner of the store. I told him my order, and he promised he'd be back, right after he died of boredom in the extra-long line.

When he came back, I jerked up in response to the smell of our coffees. I swiftly grabbed mine from his hand and blew into it in an attempt to cool it down. Then, I noticed the name on his coffee cup.

"Peter Parker?"

He grinned. "Yeah. My favorite superhero. My friend Jason always thought it would be Aquaman, but I like Marvel better."

"Really?" I teased. "What about Jason?"

Percy raised an eyebrow at me. "What, you're more interested in him? Anyways, he likes Superman. He's so cliche. Both Superman and Jason."

I retorted. "So you're trying to discourage me from meeting this Jason. Jealous?"

Percy scoffed. "Jealous of _him_? No. Not a chance. Who's your favorite superhero?"

I thought for a second. Who was my favorite superhero? "I don't know. Probably Wonder Woman."

He gasped. "You're just as cliche as Jason! Maybe you two are meant to be together."

Without thinking, I blurted, "Well, I hear opposites attract."

Percy's cheeks turned slightly pink, and I realized the full meaning of what I had said. Here I was, blatantly stating that I was attracted to a person that I had just met. How would that not be an awkward thing to do? I had known him for a grand total of two days. This wasn't even a date!

I mentally facepalmed myself and prayed to the gods that he would let this mistake fly. The last thing I wanted was to creep Percy out.

He responded in a gruff voice. "Is that so?" His intensity of his gaze made my skin erupt into flames.

I probably looked like a fish as I stammered, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I…"

When I felt his lips on my mouth, I shut up. Whatever thoughts that were running through my mind, whatever plans I had just rushed out of my head and down the drain. I literally could not think about anything except the softness of his lips and his ocean-like scent. My insides turned to mush as I leaned into him.

And for some strange reason, it felt absolutely amazing.

Too soon, he pulled away from me, and I saw the look of horror on his face. He couldn't believe he kissed me. He wasn't thinking either, was he?

This was a mistake. A big, huge, disastrous mistake. I couldn't be with him. He was Percy Jackson, millionaire and conservationist. I went against everything that he stood for. He just didn't know it.

Obviously, he felt the same attraction I had towards him. But it couldn't happen. Not with who he was. Not with who I was.

So I ran out. I left my coffee there and everything. I just fled, as if my life depended on it. How could I have even thought of letting him in? Why did I even invite him to coffee in the first place? I didn't deserve him. I couldn't be what he should get. Why was _I_ trying to move so quickly onto him? What in the name of Zeus was I doing?

I ran for a good mile, trying to banish any stray thoughts of Percy out of my head. By the time my out-of-shape self stopped and started panting, I had already resolved that I wasn't going to contact him again. I wasn't even going to acknowledge him again. It was the best thing to do, for both him and me.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so I honestly do not like this chapter, because this is the part where everything goes wrong. It was also pretty hard to write, because I couldn't get the emotions across in a good way. It just didn't seem right to me. But anyways, here it is. I hope it's not too terrible.

Also, thank you for the reviews! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I have a lot of twists coming up soon, so stay tuned!

* * *

 **Percy**

Why was I so, freaking, dumb?

I didn't know why I kissed her. I didn't know what I was doing. I just, _did_ it. No cognitive processing involved. And it was a really bad idea.

Not because she was a bad person. She seemed like a great person. She was so stubborn and bold, and at the same time, she was so sweet and brilliant and literally everything I could ask for in a girl. And I knew I was moving way too fast, but it was like she controlled my every move. I was slipping deeper and deeper into a pit which I knew would end up hurting me someday, but I didn't care.

And the moment she ran away, I hopped out of my chair, ready to fall at her feet and beg for her to stay. But I stopped in my tracks, because there was a reason she left. She obviously didn't want to deal with me. She probably didn't mean for this meeting to be anything more than an apology. She must have been just fooling around when she suggested that 'opposites attract.' Why would I think it meant anything different?

And besides, I couldn't push my lifestyle onto her. I couldn't give her a share of my paparazzi run-ins or my lack of privacy.

And oh gods, what was I thinking? James Thorn had literally just threatened me. And here I was, prancing around with a girl in a Starbucks like I was telling him to come at me.

Even if she wanted to, me being with her would put her in danger in so many different ways. There was no way I could do that to her.

With a newfound determination, I shouldered my Rosie's leftovers and walked back to the restaurant with both coffees in hand. Just as I entered, Annabeth's friend walked out of the kitchen with a purse in her hand. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she noticed me.

I walked up to her and asked for a piece of paper and a pen, which she obligingly retrieved for me. As I put my stuff down and uncapped the pen, the girl asked me, "What did Annabeth do this time?"

I shook my head. "She left. It was my fault. I shouldn't have moved so fast."

The girl gaped at me, "But why would she leave? She likes you!"

I looked up from my note. "She does?"

She rapidly covered her mouth with her palm. "Whoops. I don't think I was supposed to say that. I'm Piper, by the way. But what happened?"

I quickly looked over what I had written.

 _Dear Annabeth,_

 _I'm sorry for scaring you off._

 _I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable._

 _Thank you for inviting me to coffee. I hope I'll see you around someday._

 _Percy_

I cringed. It was so impersonal, yet I couldn't just tell her, "Hey, we can't be together. See you never again." Sighing, I placed the note on top of Annabeth's coffee and passed it to Piper. "I kissed her. She left. Can you give her this stuff?"

Piper silently nodded as I gathered my stuff and headed out of the restaurant. Before I could close the door, she yelled, "Thank you!"

I gave her a brief smile and left Rosie's. I went back to work and slumped at my desk. I had finished the Triton gala paperwork, but I still had a lot to do. I had to prepare for tomorrow's meeting about the status of Thalassa's various projects. I also had to type up my judgements on candidates for the company's open positions and I needed to look over our financial reports to see if we could be doing anything better to raise money.

But I couldn't focus. As much as I tried to stare at my computer and do my work, I couldn't do anything more than type a few sentences. I tried everything to bring myself together. I jogged around the room and did push-ups. I finished my Rosie's leftovers. I even rolled around on the floor, but that only made me even more dizzy. A couple hours later, I had my head on my desk, and my eyes were drooping slowly.

I shook my head and looked up. Hazel had left an hour ago. Only one-third of the office was still working. So maybe my co-workers would be okay if I left work early today. Too much had happened over the last two days for me to properly think. Maybe if I had some rest, everything would be okay the next day.

I hopped out of my chair and packed up. My excitement rose at the thought of getting some sleep.

Within minutes, I was within the warm, welcoming arms of my apartment. I dropped my stuff and collapsed onto my bed, but thoughts of Annabeth, Silena, and Thorn swam through my head, keeping me awake. I tried for hours, but they kept plaguing me as if they were punishing me for all of the stupid things I had done in the past few days. As soon as the clock struck 12:00, I gave up on sleeping. Instead, I slipped on a robe and penguin slippers and walked to my mom's house.

The summer before I went to college, my mom finally finished university and published her first book. It was a great moment for all of us. My mom was finally pursuing her dream, Paul had just started helping others pursue theirs as a manager at a publishing firm, and I had finally escaped the perpetual cycle of getting expelled. Within months, her book, which was about a struggling teen's relationship with his mother (hehe), became a bestseller. Her audience, mostly moms, were begging her to make more, and her career took off.

During my freshman year of college, my mom was finally able to afford a house on her own accord. She and Paul got this small, comfy home about two miles away from our old apartment, and they have been living there since.

The advantage of living so close to your parents is that you can run over and cry in their arms whenever you need it. And vice versa, though my parents don't really cry to me about anything…

It had been a while since I had last visited my mom though, so I doubted we would get past the "I missed you so much" phase without me breaking down into tears.

The ring of the doorbell echoed through the eerily quiet street as I nervously shuffled my feet. Would she get mad at me for coming at this time of night? Or would she just be grateful I came?

The door slowly opened, and Paul stepped towards me with a sigh. "Oh, Percy. I thought it was a burglar or something."

I cautiously eyed the frying pan in his hands. "Yup. Here I am. Give me all your money."

As I stepped inside the house, Paul swung his hand around my shoulders and gave me a sideways hug. "What has you coming so late at night?"

At that very moment, my beautiful, crazy mother came running out of the main bedroom and gasped at the sight of me. "Percy? Oh my gosh, it's been forever! Come here!"

I grinned at her and bent down to give her a hug. My eyes started tearing up. "Hi mom."

"I missed you so much. How are you? Are you okay? And why is my son coming to my house at 12 at night?"

I played with my fingers as I stood sheepishly in front of her. "I...uh. A lot of things have happened recently. Bad things. And I just...I don't know how to deal with them."

Then came the waterworks. The tears just started pouring out as my mom and Paul asked if I was okay and sat me down on the couch and hugged me. My mom brought me some stale blue cookies, which I was very much appreciative of, and told me to tell her everything.

So I did. I started with my feelings about Thalassa and what happened at the bar, and then I talked about Silena and how much I missed her. And then I got to Thorn's threats and Annabeth leaving and how I couldn't sleep because I was so stressed. And my parents just listened the entire time. And you have no idea how grateful I was that night that I had such an amazing family. And I still am.

I slept in their guest bedroom that night. It smelled just like home. And I wished that I had never left.

 **Annabeth**

I would give anything to go back to yesterday. For once, I had forgotten all about all of the ghosts from my past jobs. For once, I had truly enjoyed a moment with somebody who didn't know how terrible I really was. For once, I felt completely free.

And that kiss. I hadn't done something like that for a long time. Yeah, there was the occasional getting favors from men and the kissing to get away from my reality. But this was the first time in a very, very long time that I had kissed someone I actually liked. And it felt absolutely incredible.

But I couldn't afford to go back to what could have been. It was a danger to both him and me if I hung out with him. If Thorn saw me with him, or if Percy found out what I was, then I either would be killed or would want to be killed. And I didn't want to risk either.

I escaped the entangled covers of my bed and looked into my mirror.

And I was absolutely disgusting. How did Percy even stand seeing me like this, with my knotted hair and my freckled pink face. How could I stand seeing myself like this, with my ruthless expression and my cold assassin heart. What kind of monster had I become?

Suddenly, Fan Zhi's words echoed in my head. You must choose what you are to become. The predator, or the prey. That day when Luke came up to me and told me to avenge her, I had chosen the role of a predator. It was the only way I could survive. Was it still? Could I possibly let go of this past and build myself a future where I wouldn't have to risk ruining my relationships and killing my loved ones?

No. I couldn't. I had no formal education, no way to succeed, and no guarantee that my past wouldn't come running after me, demanding retribution. This was the only way I could see, so it was the only way I could go. I had to learn to come to terms with what I was, because there was no way I could change.

Sighing, I stepped into the shower and got ready for another day. The same old type of day. Where I returned texts, made calls, and scrounged for my daily living needs.

I exited the bathroom to the sound of my phone buzzing violently on my bed. Hurriedly, I picked it up and swiped right to accept the call.

The sound of Leo's voice echoed through the phone. "Annabeth?"

"Yeah?" I replied. "What's up?"

"I have news."

"For what?"

"It's about Perseus Jackson."

I did not expect that. "What happened? Was there an accident? Was he killed? Did Thorn get him?"

Leo hesitated. "No. Not really. But come over to the shop and I'll brief you." With that, he ended the call.

Now I was anxious. What was he going to tell me about Percy?

As soon as I entered the repair shop, Leo called out to me, "Come here, Annabeth."

I followed the sound of his voice until I ended up in his computer room. On Leo's screen was a blog of sorts about Percy's family history. On his face was a solemn, almost sympathetic expression.

"Did you know Percy had a stepdad?"

I knitted my eyebrows. Did he really call me for this? "Yeah, some dude named Paul. I read it on his Wikipedia."

Leo shook his head. "No, before that."

I was taken aback. "What?"

Looking back at the computer screen, Leo nodded. "Yeah. It says here that this mysterious stepdad was married to his mom until 3 years before she married Blofis. After Sally turned in the divorce papers, he mysteriously disappeared. Off of all records."

I shook my head in confusion. "Ok, and…? What's the point of this?"

Leo shrugged. "I mean, I'll definitely look into this a bit more, but it could be possible grounds for sketchiness."

I raised my eyebrows. That couldn't be what he meant. "Wait, are you saying you think Percy killed his stepdad?"

Leo quickly replied, "I mean, I don't know. It says here in this blog that his former stepfather was abusive to both Percy and his mom. And this interview on this other tab says that Percy is a self-proclaimed mama's boy. He definitely has the motive. Plus, Percy got a suspension or two for beating people up that year."

"But, this was when Percy was in high school! He wasn't powerful enough to cover up his tracks back then."

Leo shrugged. "There's always the possibility he did this after he gained power. He might have been thirsty for revenge or something. Plus, I asked Calypso about it, and she said Percy never mentioned an abusive stepdad. He might have been planning it for a while and didn't want to tell anyone about it."

It just didn't make sense to me. The man I knew and the man Leo was postulating about seemed like two entirely different people. But if there was the evidence for it…

"Wait, who wrote the blog?"

"Some girl named Nancy Bobofit. She says that she's one of Percy's former classmates. I already verified the source. But I don't know if there's evidence for Percy killing him. I can find out more stuff, but you have to give me a day-ish."

I hesitated. I hadn't refused the deal with Thorn yet. Should I? Or should I accept it?

There was still so much I didn't know about Perseus Jackson. Besides, if he really did do something to his stepdad, then there was no way I could refuse, because that meant he qualified for my target policy. That meant he had killed a man. And with the money I would get from the job, I could pay for college and even become an architect, just like I'd always wanted.

But I had learned from Fan Zhi how to read people. And that night at the bar, plus that day at Starbucks, allowed me to see that there was nothing malicious about him. Unless he had changed from his past. Or unless he was so good at acting that he could trump even me.

Objectively speaking, the pros outweighed the cons. But I couldn't deny my outrageously annoying feelings for him anymore. I really wanted the opportunity to get to know him better. It was as if I had no control over myself anymore. I wanted him badly.

Either way, someone would lose. I just had to decide whether I was willing to risk being the loser. And I did not want to be.

But what if I created a plan? I could accept Thorn's offer and ask for a few days. If Percy really did kill his stepdad, then I could kill him (the how was irrelevant). If Percy didn't, however, I could take Thorn's down payment and kill him instead. That would drastically increase the chance I had of earning money. It seemed like an easy plan to my naive, overconfident self.

But if I could go back to that day and do everything all over again, I certainly would.

Impulsively, I called Thorn. "I'll do it."

His high-pitched voice blared through the phone. "Too late."

I couldn't believe my ears. Was he being serious? He recruited another assassin? "What?"

Thorn giggled. "I'm sorry. I should have let you know earlier. I got a much less demanding assassin for a much lower price. But, because my boss has a flair for the dramatic, if you kill Perseus first, you'll get $300,000."

"What? Wait, your boss?"

Thorn yelped. "What boss? Did I say boss? Whoopsie. I meant my chops. My chops have a flair for the dramatic."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Well, there's my offer. I think the other guy plans to do it sometime the day after tomorrow, so you'd better get chopping!"

A resounding beep signified that Thorn ended the call.

And my heart started thumping. Harder and harder.

What had I just done?

What was I thinking?

What just happened?

I slumped into the beach chair outside Leo's shop. Obviously, Thorn's impatience had gotten the better of him, but the idea of pitting two assassins against each other? That didn't seem like Thorn's idea. He was just a newbie, a baby, and only the most experienced clients would risk getting a losing assassin mad. So Thorn must really have a boss. An experienced boss who I didn't want to mess with. So killing Thorn would mean nothing in the long run.

And now, I also had to worry about finding this other assassin, and making sure he or she didn't kill Percy before I did.

But if Percy hadn't killed his stepdad? If I was forced to withdraw? Then would I let the other assassin kill Percy, or would I try to protect him?

I guess I would have to find out.


	6. Chapter 6

Normally I wait a day to post another chapter, but this one just excited me too much. :D

I would really appreciate your feedback on this chapter!

* * *

 **Percy**

I woke up to the sound of my parents talking to each other in hushed tones.

"He looks so stressed, Paul! I'm worried."

"I know you're worried, Sally, but you questioning him is going to make him even more stressed. He's a grown man. He needs some alone time."

"But maybe that's the problem! Maybe he's so stressed because he doesn't have someone his age to depend on! I mean, there's Grover and those kids, but they're busy too. They have their own lives. He needs someone in his life, Paul. He's twenty-eight, for god's sake."

At this, I stepped into the doorway of my room. My mom and Paul were standing in a corner of the living room, talking animatedly about my personal life. Neither of them saw me.

"That girl he was talking about seems like trouble, though."

"Maybe that girl is going through something too. Ok look, I don't know who Percy wants or why. I just know that he needs somebody to help him through life, and he needs that person soon or he might crumble under the pressure.

Loudly, I stumbled into the living room, 90% to make them stop talking about me and 10% because I tripped over the carpet.

My mom turned around rapidly and gave me a big smile. "Percy! Good morning! Eat some food. I made blue pancakes, and I also let Hazel know that you'll be coming in late today."

My eyes widened in shock as I glanced at the clock. "Wait, no. Shi-oot. I have so much work to do! I have to go."

My mom grabbed my arm as I tried to head back into my room. "Percy, no. You may be busy, but you're certainly not busy enough to slow down and eat some pancakes. I'm not letting you go to work until you finish them."

"But mom!"

"No buts, Percy. My job is to take care of you, and there's no way you won't let me do it."

I tried doing my begging puppy eyes, but they didn't work. In the end, I gave up and sat down to eat my pancakes. And the moment I ate the first bite, I almost died of pleasure. It had been so long since I had eaten anything so downright amazing. And as I snarfed down the rest of the pancakes, I recalled so many memories of my past when my mom would calm me down with blue food. I remembered how she would torture me by serving my friends blue cookies before she would give them to me, and how on the last day of school she made me blue food to celebrate my first year of not getting expelled (which I jinxed later that day), and how she would always give me a bag of blue candy when she used to work at a candy shop more than ten years ago. I had taken these little things for granted back then, but now, I would give anything to have them back. I would give anything to be in high school again, in a stable relationship and having my mom to support me everywhere I went.

Maybe my mom was right. Maybe having someone to lean on would help me through these past few days. Maybe I could get past the awkwardness of Annabeth's rejection and just be her friend. Maybe she could help me like nobody else ever could.

As soon as I had my last bite, I glanced at my mom, and she gave me her 'I told you so' look. I stuck my tongue out at her and started rinsing my plate.

Immediately, she grabbed the plate from my hand and exclaimed, "No! You do this every day. Let me take care of you for once."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, you took care of me for 18 years."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. "Well then, one more day shouldn't matter, should it?"

I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her tight. She smelled sweet, like syrup. "Thank you so much. I love you, mom."

She gently pushed herself away and rested her hands on the side of my face. "I love you too, Percy. Now get out there and do your thing. And don't let anybody get to you, alright? If you ever need anything, I'll be there for you. If that thorny dude tries to hurt you, he's going to have to go through me."

Paul yelled from the bedroom, "That won't take much."

My mom snapped, "Shut up, Paul. Good luck, Percy. You'll do great."

I grinned. "Thanks, mom. Bye Paul!"

Quickly, I adjusted my clothes and hoped that nobody would notice they were the same as yesterday's. Then, I kissed my mom on the top of the head and stepped out the door. But before I left, I looked back at the small, cozy house with its dusty carpets and its warm-colored paint. I would give anything to come back to my old life. But I couldn't. And instead of regretting my past, I decided I would cherish it, and use it to make my future better. What else was the purpose of the past but to learn from it?

I hopped into my car and drove to HQ, jamming to the radio in the process. There was no point in acting depressed. I had to pick my mood up, because then, maybe life itself would get better.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Hazel again. "Good morning, Percy. Had a nice night?"

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Are you implying something?"

Hazel glanced to her right. "Uh...no?"

I grinned. "Liar. And yes, I did have a nice night, because I went back to my parents' house."

Hazel blinked. "That can't be why you're in such a good mood."

I mentally facepalmed. "Hazel, you act like a teenager sometimes."

She smirked. "Says you."

"Guilty as charged. I'll get to work. Do you have anything else for me?"

She quickly checked her phone. "Uh, not right now. So I guess it's just gala logistics stuff and finishing up the report for the EPA on our progress."

She turned off her phone and narrowed her eyes at something beyond it. I followed her gaze, only to realize she was looking questioningly at my penguin slippers. Thankfully, however, she didn't say anything.

I shrugged. "That itself will take me hours. Can you get an editor on the report after I'm finished?"

She nodded with a smile. "Consider it done. And Percy? I think it's high time you do spend your nights doing something other than sleeping. Have some fun for once."

"Maybe someday. Let me know if anything needs to be done."

With that, I slumped into my chair and dropped my backpack onto the floor. I entered my laptop and opened my email, when I saw a very suspicious message at the top of my inbox. It was from an anonymous address.

Hesitantly, I opened it up, hoping I wouldn't accidentally download some virus of sorts. But I had to read it a good three times in order to completely understand what it was saying.

 _Meet me at 3:00 in the lobby. Alone. I have insight into what Thorn plans to do to you._

I stared at my screen for a long time before replying, Who is this? I didn't expect an answer, though.

I asked myself, _should I go?_ It was too risky, especially considering that nobody knew about Thorn's threat except me, Thorn, Chris, and my parents. And as far as I knew, none of those people would have told anyone. Except maybe Chris…

What if the anonymous person was Chris? What if he was scared of getting caught by his employer?

I called for Hazel. "Do we have any hackers, or generally tech-savvy people who can locate where an email came from?"

She scrunched her eyebrows together. "I can find out. Why?"

"I received a sketchy email just now, and I want to see whether it'll harm me or help me in the long run."

Hazel glanced at my screen and skimmed over the email. Biting her lip, she murmured, "If it were up to me, I would lock you in your room until 7:00, but I know you won't let me."

I nodded. "I want to go, Hazel. You know me. Curious is my middle name."

"As far as I know, you have 3 middle names: reckless, stupid, and impulsive. Curious isn't one of them."

I pouted at her. "Hey!"

Hazel shook her head. "I'll call in security to keep an eye on the lobby around 3, and I'll get someone to track down the email. Just… try not to do anything stupid."

She power-walked back to her desk and started furiously typing something on her computer.

My eyes flitted back to the computer screen. The text was typical Sans Serif, there was no signature, and the email address was literally "anonymous ." But something didn't make sense. The person sent me an email. Not a physical message. And emails could always be traced. So either this person was a newbie to the secrecy business, or they wanted it to be traced.

And that could mean two things. Either it was Chris, or somebody was framing somebody else for sending that message. And if it was the second option, that meant that Thorn wasn't as reckless and anger-driven as I had first thought. That meant that I had to be extremely careful.

Time passed by slowly, with me being anxious to know what three o'clock had in store for me and my tasks involving boring and obnoxious paperwork that was not fun to fill. For a short while, I bided my time looking at pictures of cute turtles, but overall, the wait was hell.

Which is why the moment the clock on my computer flipped to 2:55, I jumped for joy and called on Hazel. Without moving, she yelled back, "Security is on every floor, including your own, and I told them to look inconspicuous. In case something happens, wear a bulletproof jacket."

I blinked. "Uh, what?"

Hazel stared at me. "Anonymous dude sending you a secret message to meet him in your lobby? Have you not watched enough action movies to know that it could be potentially dangerous?"

I shook my head. "I know, but, this whole thing doesn't make sense. This person is sending me an email, which can easily be traced back, because it's the internet, and they're making me wait in a very public lobby. If this person wanted to harm me, then they would have done so in a much less traceable manner."

Hazel retorted, "Well, I'm not taking any risks, Percy. I know about Thorn threatening you. I heard it all. So there's no way I'm leaving you alone right now. Especially with some mysterious stranger."

She then threw a bulletproof vest onto the floor of my room and locked the door behind it. "You wear it, or you don't get to go."

Wow. Absolutely amazing. Two incredibly stubborn, overprotective mothers in my life. How many more would come my way?

Grumbling to myself, I picked up the vest and turned around to unbutton my shirt. Within a few seconds, I had the vest on under my button-down and was ready to go.

Smiling smugly, Hazel unlocked the door. "Good boy."

I stuck my tongue out at her before walking into a ginormous pillow.

Actually, wait no, never mind. It was a guy. A huge, rectangular guy. I was a pretty tall guy, barely brushing 6 feet, but this guy was easily a foot taller than me and 3 feet wider. He was like the security guy from the Lorax, except without the sunglasses and with facial hair.

"Uh, hi?" My voice sounded an octave higher than it normally was.

Hazel grinned. "Percy, this is Butch. He's your new bodyguard. Butch, this is Percy. Make sure he doesn't run away, okay?"

Butch nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Darn. His voice was deeper than the sound of an avalanche.

I gaped at Hazel. She got me a freaking bodyguard?

Hazel just gave me a cheeky wave and went back to her work. I was mentally cursing at her when Butch gave me the go-ahead. "You coming?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Yes, I'm coming."

Butch then proceeded to call the elevator for me, walk into it before me, and stand incredibly close to me for the entire ride down.

Which, honestly, I wasn't too frustrated with, considering all of my contempt for Hazel's bodyguard idea had been replaced with my nervousness for what was to come. Was it Chris? Or was it someone dangerous? Should I have heeded Hazel's advice and stayed inside?

Within seconds, we were in the lobby. My 'bodyguard' grumbled, "You stay there, in that seating area, where I can see you. I'll be inconspicuously standing next to the vending machine."

I smirked. "Inconspicuously?"

Surprisingly, Butch smiled. "As much as I can, yes."

I gave him an uneasy grin and turned towards the seating area. With every step I took, my heart thumped faster. Harder. And I knew that what was about to happen here was about to set a trend for the future. I don't know how I knew. It was just a premonition. Whatever happened here was about to change my life, in one way or another.

Maybe that's why I agreed to this absurd meeting. Because I knew it would change my life. And if there's one thing I needed right now, it was a change.

I eased myself onto an armchair and clasped my legs tightly to prevent them from shaking with anxiousness. That didn't work. My arms ended up shaking instead.

I had to calm down. In an attempt to do so, I inhaled deeply. Then exhaled. Then I inhaled again, and promptly choked on air.

Wow, this wasn't working at all.

Sighing in frustration, I gave up on all attempts to alleviate my anxiousness. I decided to just get it all out instead.

But before I could start tap-dancing around the coffee table, somebody seated himself in the armchair across from me.

I snapped my head up and smiled. "Chris."

He smiled back, though his expression was nervous. Maybe it was because he was scared of Thorn coming here? "Hey."

We sat in silence for a minute, until I asked him, "Why did you call me here?"

He frowned. "Uh, I wanted to talk to you."

I urged him on. "About...?" Chris was acting very weird for some reason. What was going on?

He pursed his lips and tapped his fingers on his knees for a good five seconds. Then, he snatched something out of his ear and blurted, "Thorn has two assassins on you. Get out of here NOW."

I abruptly got up and raised my eyebrows. "Wha…"

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the building, resulting in screams from my co-workers in the lobby.

My heart began racing as I looked down. There was a bullet lodged into my shirt, near my belly area. Thank the GODS Hazel made me wear that stupid bullet proof vest.

Within seconds, Butch had stepped in between me and Chris and grabbed him by his collar. "Who are you? Who do you work for?"

Chris ignored him and yelled at me, "I'm so sorry, Percy. Thorn has two assassins on you. You have to be careful!" Tears started streaming from his eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

Another gunshot. All I remember was hearing a scream, though I don't remember whether it was from me or Chris. A flurry of red expanding across Chris's stark white shirt. A flash of blonde hair. And then black.

 **Annabeth**

This past week has been a series of me doing stupid, impulsive things. What the heck is wrong with me?

Leo called the day after he first approached me about Percy's presumed secret. He said he couldn't find anything else. For once in both of our lives, the internet was completely blank on all matters regarding Percy's stepdad.

So naturally, I had to do it the old-fashioned way. I had to approach Percy.

The very thought of me talking to Percy again after the kiss turned my stomach into a washing machine. How was I supposed to approach him? How should I ask him about his mysterious stepdad without ruining our nonexistent relationship?

Was he the type to lie?

My first instinct was no. Percy seemed like an honest person. But as a wise girl once said, everything is not what it seems (props to Selena Gomez).

I wasn't scared of lies. I had been trained by Fan Zhi herself to see through lies and liars alike. I knew when somebody's pants were and weren't on fire.

What I was scared of, was that if Percy lied about his stepdad, then my perception of him would completely crumble. My image of him as a kind, sweet gentleman would completely turn itself around. And I didn't want that to happen.

So a couple hours after I got Leo's call, I headed toward Percy's office.

Thalassa wasn't a small company. It's fame was equal to that of companies like Tesla and Gucci. It was a fledgling compared to its contemporaries, but that didn't make it any less effective. It had locations all over the world, and according to the many stats I had seen, was making great strides in preserving the world's wildlife. Especially its aquatic animals, which had been declining at far greater rates before Thalassa was founded.

It was amazing what a passionate person like Percy could create. At this point, I was just praying that Percy hadn't used any immoral means to get to the top.

Anyways, Thalassa HQ was right on the edge of downtown and was located very close to the coast. And the building, oh god. I only wish I could've designed that.

The Thalassa building was an architect's dream come true. The area in front of the building looked like a miniature waterpark, with elaborate fountains for kids to play in and ocean-themed seating areas for adults to watch. Freshly watered lawns surrounded the building and exquisite sculptures of sea life graced the area.

And according to Leo, all of the water and materials used in the structures were recycled!

The building itself was sleek and beautiful, with shiny metal walls and large, blue-tinted windows. It was curved in such a way that it looked like a whale's tail protruding from the city skyline. And not a limp baby whale. It was a majestic blue whale capable of making Captain Ahab wet his pants.

Again, how could all of this be accomplished by one person?

I felt like a little kid again, walking up the grand marble staircase leading up to the building. It had been a very long time since I had been this excited, especially about a piece of architecture. It was a wonder this building's architect hadn't won a Nobel Prize yet.

I giddily pranced up the steps in anticipation of what the beautiful building would look like from the inside, but was promptly disappointed. The lobby looked like… a lobby. The design choices were great, in terms of furniture and paint and all, but the architecture itself wasn't spectacular. It was just clean lines and a slightly curved roof. But then again, that was only practical…

My Vans shoes squeaked against the marble floors, adding a layer of immaturity to the cacophony of clicking heels and animated voices. I noticed a brown-haired lady look me up and down in disgust and immediately, I felt like I didn't belong. Which was followed by a self-slap and a scolding because of course I didn't belong. I didn't work here. I was dressed in frayed shorts and a t-shirt, for the gods' sakes. I was here for one purpose only, to elicit some sort of response from Percy about his stepdad.

I whisked my head from side to side, searching for a help desk which I could use to get an audience with Percy. But I found the next best thing. Percy himself.

He was seated awkwardly in an armchair and looked very confused. He was speaking calmly to a man sitting across from him, who looked like the exact opposite of calm.

Wait, I had seen that man before. Where had I seen him?

The man jerked forward rapidly and sternly said a sentence of which I could only hear the last word. "Now."

I gasped in confusion when Percy abruptly stood up. But when I heard the gunshot, it all came to me like a landslide.

The man was Thorn's bodyguard. He was distracting Percy so the killer could take the shot. It was all happening now.

I pulled my knife out of my pocket and sprinted to Percy's seating area, fighting against the crowd of people fleeing for the exit. But I was too late. Another shot rocketed through the room and found its mark in the bodyguard's belly. My heart sunk. Why was today the one day I decided not to bring my gun?

Another man, a much larger one, who I determined to be Percy's bodyguard, slumped a limp Percy over his shoulder and turned around, almost crashing into me.

"Is he okay?" I demanded.

The man nodded his head vigorously, his "Butch" nametag glinting in the sunlight. "Just fainted. He's unharmed. Who's asking?"

I internally sighed, and replied grimly. "A friend. If security comes and find me in a compromising position, remember, I'm not the enemy."

Before the "What" could fully escape Butch's mouth, I had calculated the location of the assassin based on the bullet's trajectory and I was already at the stairs, heading towards Floor 4. That is, assuming that the assassin hadn't moved.

She had. But not too far. She had brought her big guns to work today, so packing up took her a lot of time that she didn't have to spare. But leaving them there would have been even worse. They would have found her identity.

"Stop!" I yelled.

Unsurprisingly, the girl kept running, but she looked back as she did. I barely caught a glimpse of black hair and dark, unforgiving eyes behind her face-mask and shawl.

And so began the chase.

I had always been a strong runner. I was more of a long distance person, but when necessary, I could run really fast. However, my advantage was almost obsolete in this case. The girl I was chasing was twice as fast and four times as muscular. On the bright side, she would probably get tired easily. And by easily, I meant within 20 minutes or so. Which wasn't that easily. She also had a bag of guns to carry, and all I had was a pocket knife.

But I was always on the unlucky side. She pulled out a pistol from a front pocket and shot randomly behind her. The bullets missed by a great margin and ricocheted off the walls. But I was still scared. I had never done this before. I had always been on the other side of a gun. The few times my victims gave me chase, I always won, because they weren't trained killers. But this girl was. The girl was my archenemy. My assassin-to-beat. The only thing standing in my way of a large sum of money.

My heart thumped violently as I followed the sound of her footsteps. The ground shook under my feet with every step. Every pant served as a rhythm to guide the beat of my legs. I felt fear and anguish for the first time in years, but I also felt thrilled. To be part of the chase. To be doing something that actually mattered.

But I was tiring quickly. I had to either catch up to her, which seemed very unlikely considering her incredible pace, or I had to hurt her. But all I had was my pocket knife. I only had one shot. And there was no way I had over a 50% chance of getting her if I threw it while running. I had to choose the optimal spot to stop and hit her without losing her. So it couldn't be near a bend or an intersection or anything of the short. It had to be a straight as heck hallway.

A couple of seconds later, she entered one. My body shook with nervousness as I stopped and took aim, preserving my momentum for the final shot. I couldn't hesitate. Not now. Not ever.

I let go. And breathed in relief. The blade lodged deep into her shoulder blade and sent her stumbling to her knees.

The girl cursed loudly as she pushed herself up. But I couldn't let this valuable time go to waste. I sprinted as fast as I could towards her, intending to tackle her down. But when I leaped after her standing figure, she ducked. I rocketed over her head and slammed my back into the hard, carpeted floor. When I landed, my ankle twisted against itself. A searing bolt of pain crackled through my body as I groaned in frustration. It was a good move on her part. But I wouldn't let it be the last one.

She tried stepping over me to escape the building through the fire exit, which was only about a 100 feet in front of her. But before she could, I grabbed her ankle and yanked it to the side. The girl fell on top of me, her shoulder stabbing into my calf. We both recoiled from the pain, but I recovered first and wrapped my legs around her torso to keep her down. She rolled over in an attempt to disengage me, but I wouldn't budge. Pushing myself up, I flung my arms toward her face and whacked her hard, pulling the face-mask and shawl off of her head.

The girl was regally pretty. Her black hair and black eyes made her look less like a raven and more like a queen. An Amazon queen, weirdly. I was instantly jealous of her. But not right now, because I was laying into her like a leopard mauling a bunny rabbit.

Furiously, I grabbed her collar and slammed her against the floor with every word. "Don't. You. Dare. Try. This. Again."

She spat in my face. "Hypocrite. Aren't you the other assassin?"

I frowned. How did she know that?

She flashed her bloodied teeth at me. "You're pretty obvious, honey. You should have taken the offer while you had it. Would've suited you better."

I snapped. "Well, honey. Unlike you, I make sure my victims actually deserve it. You're a rookie anyway. What do you know about guilt and grief?"

Her eyes shone. "Too much. Humans don't deserve a chance. No matter how good they are or how good they try to be. Not a single one of them is worth saving. If you don't understand that, then you're the rookie. Not me."

I smiled. "I like how you excluded yourself from that narrative."

The girl grunted and went for a punch, but I caught it and continued. "We are ten times more deserving of death than these innocents are. We are the poison that is tearing this world apart from the outside. You may hold yourself in great esteem because you're at the top of the food chain, but once you've conquered the world, what do you have left to cherish?"

She shook her head. "Hypocrite. You're an absolute hypocrite. You preach to me about how poisonous I am and how disgusting I can be. But you are the same as me. You're just as venomous as I am, as heartless as I am, as evil as I am. But you're too scared to admit it, aren't you? You just want to act like everything's okay and life will soon return to normal."

I was yelling now. "I know that I'm evil, but I do it because I have no choice!"

Too late, I felt a rough, spherical object under my legs. A loud click resounded in the halls as the bomb armed itself and the assassin cuffed my legs. I thrashed violently to disable her again, but she got up and stepped away. "You may keep telling yourself that, but it doesn't change a thing."

She then turned around and sauntered out of the fire exit.

"Shit, shit, shit." I muttered as I used my arms to push myself onto my feet, ignoring the pain from my sprained ankle. Frantically, I hopped as hard and fast as I could towards the elevator so I could protect myself from the blast, but I fell to the ground about 300 feet from the bomb. I tried to roll away, but the explosion came too quickly, and within seconds, I was knocked out on the ground.

* * *

Your thoughts? :D


	7. Chapter 7

New chapter! They're getting longer, lol. I hope you enjoy this one!

Again, I would really appreciate any reviews you guys have. Especially if you have any suggestions for me to improve my writing/the story.

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned these guys, but I don't. :(

* * *

 **Percy**

I woke up to dripping hair and water running down my face. Butch shrugged and dropped a (reusable) water bottle on the ground. "Sorry, but I had to. There was just an explosion on Floor 4 and I can't carry you up three flights of stairs. You're a pretty heavy guy."

I pouted at him and muttered, "You could have just woken me up the normal way."

Butch shook his head. "I don't think you want me to slap you."

I grumbled. "That's not the normal way." I rubbed my eyes. "What happened?"

Butch gave me the short version. "Somebody tried to shoot you. Twice. And then you fainted. Very manly of you, I might add."

"Shut up."

Blinking the cloudiness out of my eyes, I pushed myself up, only to fall back down out of dizziness. I groaned and tried one more time, and thankfully succeeded. I slowly got up to my feet and remarked to Butch, "Let's go."

But then I stopped. And turned around. "What happened to Chris?"

Butch's gaze turned to his feet. "I don't know. He was barely breathing when security started taking him and the other wounded to the hospital."

I cursed. "How many were wounded?"

Butch shuffled his feet. "Probably around five. Nobody died. Yet."

My heart sunk. I had permanently impacted five people because of my own rash decisions. I should have known better. The moment I heard Thorn threaten me, I should have taken precautions for people other than myself. How selfish was I? "Is that supposed to reassure me? Because it doesn't."

Butch reprimanded me. "Hey, don't worry. You got lucky. You weren't hurt at all. Be thankful and look towards the future."

"I wasn't hurt. But five other people were because of my mistake. I shouldn't have come. So what if two assassins are coming after me? I already knew that I was targeted. The price wasn't worth the reward."

Butch shook his head. "Let's just go. The security and our staff are almost gone. Whoever's remaining is in hiding. So I don't think many people will be coming to check out the explosion. We should go, just in case someone was near it."

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah." Anything to get my mind off of the guilt that was tearing through my veins.

Butch and I raced up the steps and followed the smell of smoke to a hallway on the far left of the building. Rubble coated the navy blue carpets, and the smell of iron and smoke filled the air. But this wasn't where the explosion was. This was just collateral damage. The actual explosion seemed to be from…

Near the elevator. Shit. Was that… Annabeth?

My chest tightened. I raced over to the limp body covered in dust and pulled her hair from her face. It was. Oh no. What was she doing here?

I looked over the rest of her figure. Blood was pooling into her sweatshirt near the waist, and a gigantic slab of concrete was pressing into her legs. She was in really bad shape. But her chest was rising and falling slightly, so she was still alive.

Could it be possible that she had been here because of me?

Awesome. One more injury on my behalf.

"Butch," I croaked. "Help."

Butch walked over and tugged on the concrete slab. Pushed it. Lifted it. Nothing. It was too heavy.

I quickly joined in. We tried lifting it from opposite sides. The same side. Again, nothing.

I was slowly beginning to panic. "What do we do? We need to get her out of there before something bad happens!"

Butch muttered, "Calm down, Percy. There has to be something we can use."

Seconds later, a couple security guards game rushing down the hall and saw us standing over Annabeth. The head guard turned on his walkie talkie. "Guys, we need another ambulance. Somebody was hurt in the explosion."

Then he rushed towards us. Together, Butch, some security guards, and I were able to push the slab off of Annabeth's legs. But looking at them, I wished I hadn't.

Her legs were lying in a bloody mess. One of her ankles was twisted at a strange angle and a deep gash cut into her calf. It was no surprise she blacked out from pain.

The lead security guard spoke into his walkie talkie, "What's the status on that ambulance?"

Somebody replied from the other side, "I called one, but it might take a while to come. The ones we called for the other wounded just came, and by that time, our cars were halfway there."

The lead guard looked at me. "I can do some basic first aid here, but that seems to need a lot more attention. Can you guys help me?"

I nodded. Blood wasn't my thing, but I would do anything to help Annabeth.

He replied, "Good. Can I have somebody's shirt, or any large cloth, so I can tie up her larger wounds and stem the flow of blood?"

Obligingly, I took off my shirt, and Butch removed his jacket. The guard tied them tightly around Annabeth's wounds, causing her to flinch and moan in pain.

My heart constricted. She didn't deserve this. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten involved with her when I knew that somebody was targeting me. I was such a dumb idiot.

The guard nodded in satisfaction and told us, "I'll go find a first aid kit so I can do something more. If you guys can watch her, that would be great."

Butch tersely nodded and sat in silence.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

Butch shook his head. "No. Do you know her?"

I turned my head away from Butch's and towards Annabeth's sleeping face. "Yes."

Butch raised his eyebrows. "And you're feeling guilty. Because you think it's your fault she got caught up here."

I whipped my head in Butch's direction. In response, he smiled. "I'm a pretty old guy. And you know what they say. Older means more experienced."

"By more experienced, do you mean more psychic?"

He smiled sadly at me and shrugged. "Maybe."

A clunking sound echoed through the empty hallway as the three guards returned with a first aid kit. The lead guard pushed it open and began rummaging through it for bandages, but suddenly stopped.

"What?" I asked.

He listened for a second and clamped the first aid kit shut. "Sirens. Let's get her down. The paramedics are going to have a hard time rolling a gurney up the stairs."

Together, we lifted her up, with Butch at her legs, me cradling her head, and the guard holding up her midsection. We slowly eased her down the stairs as a paramedic entered the building and called out, "Where's the injured?"

"Coming down the stairs!" I yelled, and we picked up our pace. The paramedics reached us as soon as we touched upon the first floor, and they took her from us. Two of them took Annabeth downstairs while the other rolled the gurney towards them. Within seconds, they were gone. The sound of the siren receded until it was nothing but a faint whimper. She was safe. They were going to do whatever they could to help her. Annabeth wasn't going to be in trouble anymore.

The guard sighed and said, "Thank the gods. Hopefully I was useful."

I turned to him and extended my hand. "You were beyond useful. Thank you so much. What's your name?"

The guard pointed at his badge. "I'm Ethan. You're the big boss guy, right?"

I grinned. "I guess? Call me Percy."

He took my hand and shook it firmly. "Well, Percy, you're awfully calm considering somebody tried to shoot you today."

I shrugged and sarcastically stated, "I mean, happens every day." I paused, then said, "I probably should go to the hospital to see who got hurt and stuff."

Ethan nodded. "Go ahead."

I nodded back at him and turned away. Then, I jogged over to the front desk and grabbed the intercom. "Hi guys, this is Percy. Not a voice double. Not some random dude pretending to be me. But yeah, in light of the things that happened just now, which are over by the way, you guys can all go home. Go back to your families. Stay safe and be careful. I'm sorry about what happened. I hope you guys have a comfortable rest of the day. Thank you."

Almost as if a button was turned on, I heard the sound of hundreds of employees talking at once, checking on their friends and remarking about how scary the experience was. I smiled. I didn't want any more people suffering on my watch. As long as they were safe, I was happy.

Closing my eyes, I pushed the glass doors open. The sun was shining brightly today, but it wasn't too hot either. It was actually perfect weather. It was a shame that such a terrible event happened under this very sky.

I walked through the front yard of the building, which was filled with fountains and lights for the families strolling through the area. It was completely empty. Of course, that was no surprise, considering what just happened.

But that also meant the families hanging out in the area were in danger too. The people who had nothing to do with my company, nothing to do with my decisions, were also at risk because of my stupidity. I pulled my hand through my hair in frustration. What had I done?

I quickened my pace gradually until I ended up at a sprint. I ran as fast as I could until I reached my black electric BMW, which was parked on the first floor. I pulled out of my parking spot, not really paying attention to anybody around me, and I drove. Probably twenty past the speed limit, but I drove through through the traffic and raced to the nearest hospital.

In a grand total of ten minutes, I managed to enter the hospital Annabeth had been admitted to. I raced up to the front desk and breathlessly asked, "Where are the victims of the Thalassa shooting?"

The lady at the front desk gaped at me for a full 30 seconds before pulling herself out of her trance. She stated, "They're in the emergency rooms to your right, Mr. Jackson. They're all clustered next to each other in the front, including the one they just brought in."

I wheezed a quick thank you before catapulting myself towards the emergency rooms she had mentioned. A doctor exited the room right in front of me, so I asked him, "Do you know which room Annabeth Chase is in?"

The doctor immediately recognized me and stated, "Sorry, sir. We aren't accepting visitors. They're examining her injuries right now, but so far, it seems like she will be fine. She's in the room right here." He then gestured toward a room labelled E102.

I opened my mouth to protest, but the doctor sent a stern look in my direction. Sighing, I resigned and plopped myself onto one of the waiting chairs.

"What about Chris?"

The doctor looked down at his feet. His hands were fidgeting uncomfortably. "It's hard to say. He's alive, but he's in bad condition. I think he'll end up being okay, but there's always the possibility that we're unlucky."

I nodded sullenly and stared at my lap. The doctor took that gesture as a chance to leave. It was obvious he wasn't a fan of telling people bad news. Understandable.

Before leaving, the doctor glanced back in my direction. "The other four are fine too, by the way. They'll all be out by the end of the day."

My eyes widened. Why the heck did I forget the other employees that had gotten hurt? I was so messed up right now. My emotions were all over the place. Gods, I needed to do some meditation or something and get my priorities straight.

The doctor winked at me, and I gave him a sheepish grin. Then, he escaped the hallway to attend to some other patients.

I let out a huge breath and slumped back in my chair. Man. What a day. Actually, what a week. I had experienced more action in the last couple of days than I had in the last five years of my life, which was saying a LOT. First Annabeth, then Silena, and then Thorn, and to top it all off, an attempted assassination. Too much had happened for me to fully comprehend that these things were occurring. I had no clue what was going on, and I had no clue what to expect anymore.

The chair was nowhere near comfortable. But still, I found my eyes drooping from exhaustion. Seconds later, I was already asleep.

* * *

"Mr. Jackson?"

My eyes fluttered open as I attempted to figure out who was speaking to me.

"Sorry for waking you up. I just wanted to let you know that your four employees have already been released. They wanted to thank you for staying with them, but they didn't want to wake you."

I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision and found a nurse staring at me from behind a clipboard. Her name tag read Hylla.

"I… what? Sorry. Hylla's a nice name, by the way." I blurted.

Hylla blushed and continued, "Thank you. But yeah, your employees are fine. Chris is having surgery right now, but he'll be fine. His family and his girlfriend Clarisse is with him. You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's in good hands."

I nodded in relief. "Thank you."

Hylla bit her lip. "About the girl, Annabeth..."

I immediately sat up. Did something happen to her? "Yes?"

She took a deep breath and reported, "She's suffering from a broken leg, a sprained ankle, a mild concussion, and multiple cuts and lacerations, including one on her torso that had splinters in it. Thankfully, we were able to remove the splinters, and all of the surgical procedures are done."

"So she's okay?"

Hylla gave me a slight smile. "I would hardly call her injuries okay, but yes, she's alive and recovering. Also, just a comment worth mentioning, we called all of her family members on record, and nobody came."

I knitted my eyebrows together. What kind of family wouldn't come when their daughter was so severely injured? Speaking of which, I should probably ask Annabeth about her family when she wakes up. "It's okay. Thank you, Hylla. Can I go in?"

She nodded. "As long as you don't disturb her, that'll be fine. She's sleeping right now."

Hylla and I said our goodbyes, after me thanking her about fifteen million times. But to be fair, she deserved more than that. All of the hospital staff deserved more than that. They had saved all of the people involved in the shooting. Nobody had died thanks to these amazingly dedicated doctors and nurses. They deserved more than my measly gratitude.

I made a mental note to give the hospital a donation for all their hard work. And maybe a gift basket for everyone involved.

I walked into Annabeth's room. And I almost collapsed at the sight of her.

Her left leg was encapsulated by an enormous cast that probably weighed at least thirty pounds. A suspension system held her broken leg at an angle over the bed. Her other leg and both arms were speckled with large and small bandages that likely covered up countless cuts and bruises. Another bandage was wrapped around her head. I caught a glimpse of red-stained bandage covering her body beneath the neckline of her light blue hospital shift. Various tubes and medical equipment extended from her body to pieces of machinery that surrounded her slightly inclined hospital bed.

And her face. Her lips were dry and chapped and slightly open as she breathed in and out in her sleep. And Zeus, she looked so pale. Her face honestly looked bleached. Very small splotches of pink colored the area under her cheekbones, but other than that, she looked so weak. So fragile. So incredibly unwell. And I had done this to her.

I sunk into the chair beside her bed. Still two more people who were suffering from the consequences of my actions. And four other people who were now fine, but still had to pay for the hospital services I had subjected them to. There was no way I was letting them lose that money. I was going to give them what they needed to make up for that. I decided I would consult Hazel about that later.

Wait. Hazel. Oh gods, she must be so worried. I slipped my phone out of my pocket and turned it on. Sure enough, twenty-five missed calls. Not all from Hazel though. Five from her, seven from my mom and Paul, and a couple from Grover, Nico, Will, Frank and Jason each. I returned my parents' calls and I quickly texted the rest that I was okay. It wasn't me they had to worry about at this point.

After I had texted the last of my friends, I stared at the screensaver on my phone. It was a photo of me, Grover, and Jason smiling at the camera and standing beside my favorite mentor, Chiron.

Gods, Chiron. He could help me through anything. He was the most amazing and most experienced dude I had ever met, and he was the father I never had before Paul showed up. He still is like a father figure to me.

We met when I was a troubled kid in middle school. He was my Latin teacher in sixth grade, and was probably the most interesting teacher I'd ever had, even more than Paul. When I was twelve, I had thought that I was his least favorite, which explained why he was constantly calling on me in class and giving me lectures. It took me a couple years before I realized that it was the exact opposite. He had taken a special liking to me and my ADHD/dyslexic mind. How, I have no idea.

But throughout the rest of middle school and high school, he kept in contact with me via email. He offered me a home to go to in case I ever needed guidance or just wanted to talk. He gave me amazing advice as I kickstarted my career and created Thalassa. He was practically the greatest man that ever lived. Sorry, Mahatma Gandhi.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a gravelly word. "Percy?"

I gasped and looked up. Annabeth's eyes were slightly open, and she was gazing right at me.

"Annabeth. Are you okay? Do you feel okay? Are you hurting anywhere?"

She chuckled weakly. "I'm hurting everywhere. But I didn't expect any less."

We descended into silence as I went through a list of all of the questions I had for her in my mind. But before I could ask any of them, she beat me to it. "Why are you here?"

I replied with a quick, "Why wouldn't I be?" When she raised her eyebrows, I elaborated. "You were stuck in this whole situation because of me. I have no reason to not be here."

Her lips turned into a frown. "Percy, don't you blame yourself for a second. I chose to enter the building."

"But you came to talk to me, didn't you?"

She didn't answer. "See?" Upon seeing her stoic face, I grumbled to myself, "Gods, I mess everything up."

Annabeth sighed. "If I were capable of doing it right now, I would slap you in the face and tell you to be rational."

"I _am_ being rational."

"No, you're not, Percy. I am an adult. I can make my own decisions, and you are, in no way, responsible for them. You're not my dad."

I glanced back up. "But where is he? Why didn't your dad come?"

Annabeth tensed. She turned her face so that she was staring at the ceiling. "I didn't expect him to."

"Why not?"

"Percy, my family has issues, okay? I'm not sure I want to talk about it."

I gave up on bothering her about it. I didn't want to speed up her heart rate or stress her out. "Okay."

Another awkward silence. This one lasted longer.

She surprised me by saying, "My mom is dead. Leukemia, when I was seven. My dad went crazy after that. He drank like a madman. He never paid attention to me once. He drowned himself in his sorrows for a year. He remarried when I was nine, and I got two step-brothers, Bobby and Matthew. But that same year, my stepmom cheated on him. She eloped with some random man to some random other continent and left the boys with him. My dad got even worse, and my brothers started doing some pretty bad stuff. They hung around with the wrong crowd. Started smoking, joined a gang, stole stuff. Skipped school completely. We were poor as hell. Lived in a shack for quite a while.

"My dad's in rehab right now. My brothers have slowly picked their lives back up after years in a juvenile center. They work for pretty low wages, but they're saving up for college. They're likely too busy to be concerned with me."

I gaped at her. She had suffered so much as a kid, and I was completely unaware of it. Compared to her background, my family life seemed like paradise. "I'm so sorry."

Annabeth shook her head. A tear glistened at the corner of her eye. "Don't be. Things are getting better. I'm proud of how we've been able to pick ourselves up."

She took a minute to think. Then she asked me, "What about you?"

I saw this question coming. I really did. But it still didn't prepare me for the wave of anxiety snaking through my system. I didn't want to tell her the truth. It was a terrible time for both me and my mom, and I didn't think I had the strength to talk about it. It's not easy to talk about your past, especially when you're ashamed of it.

I went ahead anyway. Maybe I could build up the courage as I kept talking. "My dad left when I was really young. Probably a year after I was born. I never saw him again. My mom was nineteen at the time. She raised me all alone, which wasn't easy at all, considering how much of a troublemaker I was. And we never had much money. She worked at a candy shop to earn something, but it was never enough for us to live a proper life. And then… "

Could I talk about it? Would I be able to talk about it without choking and breaking down into tears?

"My mom…"

Nope, I couldn't. I was too weak. I couldn't pull those experiences out of myself without bursting into tears.

I shook my head. "She got engaged to Paul when I was fifteen. She's been married to him since. She's happy, and I'm happy for her."

Annabeth looked at me with concern. "Did something happen before that?"

I forced myself to make eye contact with her. She looked worried and... scared? Her grey eyes were swirling with tears and anxiousness, like a hurricane.

My voice broke. "I… I don't know if I can talk about it."

Again, Annabeth took me by surprise. She extended her hand out to me, slowly but confidently, and wiggled her fingers, as if she were asking me to take it.

Cautiously, I intertwined my fingers with hers. Her hand was cold but comforting.

Annabeth whispered, "Whatever happened, it's okay. Your secret is safe with me."

My skin tingled. My heart leapt. I could trust her. Like she had trusted me.

"I… " I took a deep breath. "She met this guy named Gabe during her years at the candy store. It was when I was eight. He seemed nice at first, and my mom knew I needed a father figure in my life, so she made the decision to marry him. For my sake."

My throat clogged itself. But Annabeth started rubbing my hand with her fingers, and somehow, I felt the strength to continue. "He changed pretty quickly. He was constantly drunk or stoned, and he couldn't keep a job for over a month. A couple months later, I started seeing bruises on my mom. I asked her if something happened at work, but she never admitted to anything happening. It was a year before I realized it was Gabe. Gabe was beating her, forcing himself upon her, and torturing her, but she stayed with him, because she thought she was helping me."

I stopped, sniffled, then proceeded. The tears were starting to form. "I confronted him about it when I found out. I threatened to tell the police. That night, he beat me unconscious. I still have a scar on my back from when he cut me with a pocket knife."

I placed her hand at the small of my back to show her where the cut was. When she realized what I was doing, she smiled sadly.

"My mom never found out, because that weekend, she happened to be visiting a college to see if she could go there for writing. She always wanted to be an author, but Gabe wouldn't have it. She told him it was a trip for work, and she tried to take me, but he refused. He said he needed some accompaniment in the house. My mom thought he would never touch me, since I was a kid, so she left me. She thought wrong.

"A couple months later, I finally got the courage to go to the police. The phone was in Gabe's room, so I couldn't call 911. I decided to walk from school. When I got to the station, he was waiting there. In his Camaro. Ready to drag me by the ear into the car and take me home. He beat me that weekend too, for daring to try such a thing. And I was ten. I was scared. I didn't know any better. So I let him. And he would threaten to beat me even more if I told my mom. This kept going for a while. I would get beat up and my mom didn't know, because she was working. Our only relief was that once every year, my mom and I would go to Montauk together and stay in a cabin on the beach. Just us. It was great. I also spent a couple summers at a camp.

"My mom found out when I was twelve, when Gabe got irresponsible enough to do it at the time when she came back from work. She yelled at him. He beat her right in front of me. I was too weak and too hurt to help her. But that was the last straw for her. She was okay with him doing anything to her, but she blew up when he touched me. She kicked him out that day. Grabbed the phone and threatened to call the police. Except this time, it actually worked. He took his car and his stuff and he left. We took a celebratory trip to Montauk that weekend. We finally could live life without Gabe. And my mom met Paul a year later."

By the time I finished my story, tears were streaming down my face. Those years were easily the hardest of my life, and it was a miracle my mom and I both got past them. But neither of us like to revisit that time in our lives. It hurt too much. And whenever we did, people felt sorry for us. They treated us differently, as if we were broken, not human. It wasn't worth telling people. But I somehow had the feeling Annabeth wasn't like that. Her life was hard too. She, of all people, would understand how bad being pitied was to a person like me.

Annabeth watched as I ferociously scrubbed at my cheeks to wipe away my tears. "I swear, I've cried more in the last week than I have in the past year."

Annabeth took my hand to her lips and kissed it. "It's okay to cry. Don't be scared. You can tell me anything, you know that right? You can trust me."

That struck a chord in me. For the longest time, I could only trust my parents and my closest friends. Every other person I had tried to meet either wanted me for the fame or the wealth, or simply because they wanted me to do something for them. It had been years since I had met someone who simply wanted to know me. Who just wanted to be friends with me.

I nodded vigorously. "Thank you."

Annabeth gave me a slight smile. However, it quickly faded as she asked me, "Do you know what happened to your stepdad after that?"

I thought about it. After Gabe left, I didn't really pay much attention to where he might have gone. I was too overjoyed with the fact that he was gone to care. I shook my head. "I'm not sure. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious." Annabeth answered too quickly, but I dismissed it. After another second, she asked, "What was his name again?"

"Gabe." I answered confusedly.

"No, his full name."

"Oh. Gabe Ugliano. Like, Ugly with an 'I', sounding vaguely Italian."

Annabeth smiled at my comparison. "Okay."

Suddenly, the door opened and the doctor walked in. "You're awake? Mr. Jackson, you were supposed to call us!"

My eyes widened. "I was? Whoops. Sorry."

Then, the door opened again, and Will, of all people, walked in. He was wearing a doctor's coat over a pair of blue scrubs, and he carried a notebook in his hand.

"Will?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

Will grinned at me. "I shadow Doctor Asclepius. I'm not good enough to be a legit doctor yet."

I got up and gave him a 'bro-hug', only for Will to turn pink. "Put on a shirt, Percy."

I looked down and realized I was only wearing my bullet-proof vest. Wow. I was really not mentally present today.

By the time I came back with a shirt from the hospital gift store, Annabeth was already asleep again. Will approached me outside room E102. "We'll get her out in a couple days. She'll need someone to take care of her though. This the girl you were pining after?"

I flushed. "I was not pining!"

Will stuck his tongue out at me. "Don't deny it, Jackson. I gotta go. It's getting late and Doc is leaving, so it's high time I get back to Nico. You should go home too."

I nodded and sighed. I was so ready to go home and just relax. Maybe I could take the day off tomorrow too. Even better, I should give everyone the day off tomorrow. Besides, half of the fourth floor was practically decimated. It would be pretty difficult to work in that environment.

I quickly made some calls to announce tomorrow was a free day, and I drove back to my apartment. It was late at night, nearing 11 o'clock, but I wasn't in the mood to sleep, considering I spent a great deal of time dozing off on a hospital chair. Instead, I drew upon my stash of Marvel movies (Phase 1 through Phase 3, I had every single one), and started watching from the beginning. Sometime in the middle of The Incredible Hulk (ew), I found myself slowly falling asleep.

* * *

AN: What did you guys think?

Btw, this is the part where I start putting my own interests into the story. I'm a pretty big Marvel fan, though I'm not one of those experts who's read all the comics and can answer any question about them. I've read some Spiderman comics and a couple Avengers ones, but they're mostly the newer ones. Are any of you major Marvel fans?

I've also scattered a couple scenes from the books within these chapters. Can you spot the one in this chapter?

Also, I've been trying to make the story so that the characters who meet Percy first in the books are somehow related to Percy in this story, and same with Annabeth. Like, Hazel, Frank, Nico, etc all met Percy before they met Annabeth, so they're the ones in Percy's sphere in this story. And then Leo, Piper, Thalia, Luke, etc met Annabeth first, so yeah. Of course, there are some exceptions, like Calypso, Jason, and some other characters I can't name yet. But AACK, I still need to find some way to include Malcolm. :(

Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter is one of my favorite ones in the story. It's got a LOT more Percabeth in it. Get prepped for some fluff! Please review when you get the chance. Again, I would really appreciate any feedback you guys have! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Also **WARNING:** the author's note at the end has The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo Book 3) spoilers! Don't read it if you haven't read the book!

Disclaimer: These characters, unfortunately, are Rick Riordan's. Which gives him the absolute authority to break our hearts. Cries.

* * *

 **Annabeth**

Gods. Everything hurt.

I had gone through a lot before. Bloody wounds were no big deal at this point. I'd also broken multiple bones, sprained countless ankles, and gotten a couple concussions.

But never all at once.

And gods. It was painful.

I had never felt so utterly helpless either. Based on what the doctors were telling me, I would have to go around in a wheelchair for at least a month. That would likely be followed by weeks of crutches and boots and doctor's appointments just to check on my stupid leg. Thankfully, my other wounds weren't as severe and could heal on their own. They said they might want to check on my head again, but that could be done at the same time as my next leg check-up.

But either way, I hated it. It's not like I told my leg to break. It's not like I wanted this to happen.

And I get that you're probably all like, she was asking for it. She was the one who decided to stupidly run after a freaking assassin.

But I didn't know if I could live with myself if I let her go.

If I let her go, many more innocent lives would be lost. If I let her go, she would go on with her career, killing people who hadn't done any harm to anyone in their lives. If I let her go, she had the chance to target Percy again. Maybe even kill him.

And after what he voluntarily told me, there was no chance I could let him get hurt again.

I had made a mistake. In taking the job, I had assumed that he was one of those no-good dirtbags who seemed nice but inwardly had an ice cold heart. I had assumed that he didn't know the meaning of pain and he had grown up with a golden spoon in his mouth. I attributed his humility and his kindness to nothing more than manners.

But now I knew that every penny he earned, he was thankful for. Every single waking moment that he lived, he cherished. And he knew struggle firsthand. He was relentlessly kind to people because he knew that others weren't necessarily kind to them. He didn't want people to be treated the way he was. Abusively. Advantageously. Cruelly.

I had made a major, colossal mistake. And no gigantic eraser could fix the mess I made.

And now my quest had changed. It was no longer to kill a businessman's target before another assassin did. It was now to protect said businessman's target from said assassin, until I finally got her off his trail. Permanently.

If only I could figure out how to do that from a wheelchair.

To my utter disappointment, the hospital let me go late by at least a couple days.

The first thing I did when they finally released me was call Leo. One ring later, he picked up.

"Did you find something?"

"Leo, he's clean."

"Are you sure? Couldn't he have lied?"

"He was crying, Leo. I'm confident he wasn't lying."

"Well, then. Annabeth, you done goofed."

Well, thanks Leo, for telling me something I didn't know.

I huffed and told Leo to look up Gabe Ugliano. Then, I rolled myself out of the hospital. After a good 4 blocks, however, my arms were already tired. I gave up and called Piper.

She picked up after half a ring. "Hello? Oh my god, Annabeth! What happened! I haven't heard from you in days! And then Percy comes in and tells me you were caught in an explosion? Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I'll tell you later. Are you busy right now?"

"No, I was just heading home from work. Why? I'm assuming it's not a Percy problem. You don't sound like you're talking about a Percy problem."

I scoffed. "No! Of course not! What the heck is a Percy problem? No, this is a me problem. I'm stuck in a wheelchair and my car is in Thalassa's parking lot and my arms hurt."

I could hear the smile in Piper's voice. "Of course I'll pick you up, Annabeth. Thank you for asking so politely."

"Shut up, Piper."

Piper laughed. "Love you. I'll be there in a few. What street are you at?"

"You know what? I'll just meet you back at the hospital. There's not really a place to pull over here."

"Gotcha. Bye!"

I turned off my phone and frustratedly grumbled about how I had to go back the way I came. It was literally a workout to roll myself 100 meters. I would likely take an hour to go back to the hospital.

But once I pressed the button for the crosswalk, I felt a steady set of hands on my wheelchair handles. Startled, I rapidly turned around, ready to punch my assailant.

I found myself in contact with a pair of blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. His hairline had just started to recede, even though he was in his mid-thirties, and he had the slightest shadow of stubble on his chin and cheeks.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Luke."

Luke grinned at me. "Annabeth. It's been a while. What has you in a wheelchair today?"

I grimaced. "I sorta kinda got caught in an explosion."

The smile disappeared off of Luke's face. "The Thalassa explosion? You were there? Were you the assassin?"

I shook my head. "No way. The work was sloppily done. It's a newbie for sure. But I forgot to update you on what happened. By the way, could you wheel me to the hospital?"

Luke nodded. "Sure."

The "WALK" light turned on, and I was prompted into silence by a couple walking with us to cross the road. Once we reached the sidewalk again, the couple turned a different way, so I briefed him on the past few days while he pushed.

Luke nodded thoughtfully. "But why don't you just let the assassin do his or her job? He's probably some snobby businessman anyway. He's a CEO, right?"

"No, Luke. I mean, yeah he's a CEO, but he's actually one of the nicest and most genuine people I've ever met."

"That's not saying much, Annabeth. The people who hire you are pretty crappy people."

I shoved his arm. "I meet other people!"

He laughed at me. "No, you do not. You don't talk to anyone outside our little circle, and yeah, I get why you do it. You don't want to put anyone on your tracks. But trust me when I say you haven't seen the world yet."

My eyes flashed. Here he was, repeating exactly what Reyna had said. "Luke, I've seen enough of this nasty world to know that the pure ones need to be protected."

"There are no pure ones. Anyone who seems that way is just putting up a charade." Luke sighed, then shook his head. "I can't make your choices for you. I just want you to be careful. Don't end up hurting yourself by making a naïve decision."

We continued in silence until Luke reached the hospital. "Well, this is your stop. Nice seeing you, Annabeth."

I smiled on the outside, but on the inside, I was angry. How dare he think that some people weren't worth saving? How dare he think that wasting an innocent human life was okay? Luke had seen some pretty bad things, I knew, but that didn't mean he should give up all hope on humanity. It was absurd and incredibly pessimistic, his way of thinking. And at that moment, I told myself that no matter what happened, I should always believe that there was always something worth saving in this world.

Apparently Piper had pulled up in front of the hospital as I was lost in thought. Her yelp broke me out of my daze.

"Annabeth, what have you done to yourself?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Yeah, Piper. I blew myself up on purpose."

She stood with her arms crossed in front of me. "You, honey, are on bedrest for the entire day."

My eyes widened. "No. You can't make me."

Piper smirked. "Oh, yes I can."

And she did. Under normal circumstances, I would have flailed and hollered and thrown a tantrum right in front of her car. But my injuries had crippled me. Now, I had no choice but to sit and complain as Piper dragged me into the car and stuffed my wheelchair into the trunk.

She drove me to my apartment and allowed me to collapse onto my soft, plushy bed. But then, she dragged a chair up right next to me and whisked a magazine out of her purse, and I knew she wasn't going anywhere. She was going to stay right here and prevent my escape until the end of time.

And it's not like I could go where I wanted to anyway. I couldn't walk. And Piper had left the wheelchair right in front of my front door, far away from where I was currently located.

I groaned. Piper, the sadist she was, just grinned at me.

Time couldn't pass by fast enough. I spent hours just reading library books and asking Piper for snacks. I was itching to get out of my bed and do something. Anything. Even to just sit in front of the TV. Or maybe take my anger out on a few punching bags. I needed something to do.

All the while, Piper just read magazines (she leeched upon mine when hers ran out) and stared at her phone. The few attempts I made at talking to her were fruitless, because apparently she was giving me the silent treatment for getting myself hurt.

I slammed my face into my pillow. I was going to die here, in bed, doing absolutely nothing.

Piper suddenly mentioned, "By the way, I gave Percy your number yesterday. When he came to Rosie's."

I pulled my head up and stared at her. "I don't know whether I should be glad you talked or mad at you for doing that."

"Why would you be mad at me? I was doing you a favor! He obviously likes you, and you obviously like him, so…" Piper started hugging herself and making kissy noises.

"Ew. I hate you, Piper."

She grinned triumphantly. "Love you too."

Then she went back to her phone. I cursed at her and shoved my face into my pillow again.

But then my phone started buzzing on my nightstand. Piper raised an eyebrow as I picked it up. "Hello?"

That beautiful voice echoed through my phone. "Hey. It's Percy. Piper gave me your number."

Piper squealed and dropped her phone on my bed.

Percy asked. "What's going on? Who was that?"

I quickly answered, "Uh, nothing. Just, Piper."

"Oh. I mean, sure sounds like her. Who else would squeal in the middle of a phone call for no reason?"

I grinned. "Oh, you have no idea."

I glanced at Piper again. She was smiling expectantly and fanning herself.

I rolled my eyes. Percy cleared his throat and continued. "So, how are you doing? Are you okay? Did they let you out?"

I nodded, but then realized he couldn't see me. "Uh, yeah. It's been torture. Piper put me on bedrest. She's not letting me leave. And I'm dying."

Percy chuckled, a sound that made my stomach flip over. "Well, tell her I'm giving her a virtual high-five."

I told Piper, who just jumped up and down in ecstasy, and I asked him, "So what are you doing? I can't do anything right now, so I have to take pleasure in hearing about other people's business."

Percy seemed caught off guard. "Oh. I was just writing some emails and I thought I should check on you. By the way, going off of your 'opposites attract' thing, I had this whole conversation with myself about whether Jason would be good for Piper."

I gasped. "And your consensus?"

"Well, I want to give it a shot. What do you say Saturday evening, we go on a double date? I can reserve a table at Buon Italiano for us all?"

I froze. He may have been suggesting Jason and Piper get together, but at the same time, he was asking me out on a date. And I had a made a resolve to stay away from him the last time we met up.

But now things were different. I had to keep an eye on him and make sure he was safe. I may be in a wheelchair, but I still had limited control over what could happen to him. If I spotted a threat in time, I could save his life.

So I conceded myself this one pleasure, meant solely for the purpose of protecting an innocent man.

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah." I replied. "Of course. Let me just check with Piper."

I covered the phone's speaker. "Piper, double date."

She gasped loudly and did a victory dance. "With who?"

I grinned evilly. "With you."

* * *

I take back what I said. Percy was pure in no way at all. He was the most immature, had the lamest sense of humor, and I was already dying of pun overload. But as annoyed as I was, I couldn't seem to stop laughing.

In all honesty, this was the most fun I've had in a very, very long time, hanging out with my best friend and two absolute goofballs. Piper had driven me to the restaurant, where Percy introduced Jason to all of us. And I had to admit, Jason was pretty sweet and handsome in a regal way. But Percy beat him in the looks department easily, with his sparkling green eyes and mussed up black hair and that lean, golden body, and wow. I should stop.

But yeah. Piper and Jason hit it off almost immediately, so Percy's matchmaking skills weren't too shabby.

And gods, Percy was just such an adorable idiot.

I glanced at Percy and immediately burst into laughter.

Percy stared at me confusedly. "What?" he whined.

But Piper, Jason and I had already been reduced to giggles. What Percy hadn't noticed yet was that a strand of pasta was dangling off his chin like a very long beard.

To my surprise, Jason just grabbed it with his tongue and started chewing, causing Piper to laugh harder. Percy then started feeling up his chin to eliminate any more intruding pastas.

Once we had all calmed down, Piper asked Jason, "So what do you work as?"

Jason replied, "Oh, um. I'm kinda almost in charge of my dad's company. Olympus Airlines."

I gasped. "Olympus Airlines? Wow. Nice. Best quality airplane I've ever been in."

Piper remarked, "I've only been in there once, for that one show filming in Houston. Remember, Annabeth?"

I nodded. That week I had been practically distraught, because Leo and Calypso had been out of town to visit some friends and Piper was out. My friend Thalia had also been busy, so I spent that entire week doing nothing except reading in the library and complaining to Piper through text.

Jason raised his eyebrows. "You're an actress?"

She blushed. "Yeah. Kinda."

Piper was being uncharacteristically shy, so I decided to intervene for her. "Probably the best actress I've seen. It's a wonder she isn't being casted with Chris Hemsworth or Zac Efron. Have you heard of Tristan McLean?"

Piper yelped in alarm and shoved my arm. "Annabeth!"

Jason nodded eagerly. "Of course! Why?"

I grinned at Piper. "He's her father."

Percy gasped. "No way! Dude, that's crazy!"

Jason matched Percy's reaction and exclaimed, "I didn't know he had a daughter."

Piper blushed deeper. "Uh, yeah. Thankfully it's not that publicized. I was illegitimate."

Jason scrunched his eyebrows. "Oh. Well, technically me too, but who's your mother?"

Piper was easily comparable to a cherry in terms of color. "Uh… Aphrodite."

Jason's mouth fell wide open. "No way. How are you not famous? Model for a mother, actor for a father and I never knew you existed?"

Piper and Jason kept talking about each other's family life while Percy ordered another basket of breadsticks.

I grinned at him. "How are you capable of eating so much?"

He took that as a challenge and claimed, "I bet I can eat this breadstick in one bite."

I crossed my arms. "Show me."

Percy broke the breadstick in half and stuffed one half into his mouth, but couldn't fit the other one in there. "Mmmmphh!" he yelled while trying to push the other half in.

Jason wrenched his attention from Piper to glance at his dumb-butt of a friend. "What the heck are you doing, bro?"

We didn't get an intelligible answer until a good two minutes later, when Percy had finished swallowing his half a breadstick. "Embarrassing you."

Piper smirked. "Well, he's doing a great job of that."

Jason blushed and smacked Percy in the stomach. A resounding thump filled the area, as if Jason had just hit a really thick wall. "Damn, Percy. Have you been working out?" Jason squeezed Percy's stomach as if he was scrounging for remnants of flab.

Percy patted his stomach repeatedly like a bongo drum. "What do you think?"

I rolled my eyes at Piper, and she returned the gesture. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and I felt a hand cover mine.

Percy picked up my hand, looked at Jason sharply, and murmured. "Paparazzi."

I looked outside the window, and, sure enough, I saw camera flashes a short distance away.

Jason stood up abruptly. "Dammit. We have to go. I thought my dad could keep them away."

Percy stood up as well. "It's okay. Let's go through the back door."

We quickly boxed our leftovers, paid the check, and escaped through the emergency exit. Thankfully, Percy and Jason had parked their cars right outside of it.

Jason proclaimed he would drop Piper off, which earned a wink from Percy, and they both did some secret handshake to say goodbye. Then, Jason and Piper headed off in a Tesla.

Percy lifted me into the front seat of his car, and I was suddenly aware of how close he was to me. My arm was pressed against his warm, solid chest. His arms were wrapped around my waist and my thighs. He smelled like the ocean, mixed with a slight tinge of sweat.

"Thank you." I murmured. Percy gave me a lopsided smile and whispered, "Of course." The air he exhaled drifted against my skin, making my heart flutter.

He made sure I was comfortable and then stuffed my wheelchair in the trunk. He plopped into the driver's seat of the car and put on his seatbelt.

I heard a the sound of a camera echo through the silent night, and I realized a stray photographer had taken a picture of us in the car. Fear coursed through me as I anxiously shielded my face with my hands. I had never been under this much scrutiny before. What if they tried to stalk me and figure out what I really worked as? What if they somehow dug out all of my secrets? I heard how nasty the paparazzi could be, but obviously, I had never experienced it firsthand. What if this started something I would eventually regret?

Percy placed his hand on my thigh gently. "Don't worry about them. They'll most likely forget about it."

I nodded and gulped. Would they really?

He started the car and silently drove us onto the main road. I immediately started reflecting on what happened. One, I had one of the best nights of my life. Two, I hung out with not one, but two incredibly famous businessmen who were waaayyy out of my league. Three, I just got my idiotic face under the paparazzi's radar. And that was immensely dangerous for me. At this point, though, all I could do was pray to the gods that I didn't get arrested once they found out what I really was.

But more importantly, I had to pray that Percy wouldn't find out what I was. He would hate me forever if he did, and I didn't know if I could live with that. He was the only boy who I had met who made me genuinely happy, and I didn't want to compromise that. Even if there was no chance that our relationship could go anywhere. Even though we were two people who were oceans away in all but location, I still wanted to be his friend.

Percy's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

I shook my head and turned towards him. "Nothing."

He grinned at me. "You're thinking about something."

"Fine." I grumbled. "Nothing important."

Percy pouted and turned on the radio. The song was _Ocean_ by Martin Garrix and Khalid. His eyes brightened. "I love this song."

I smiled. I had fallen in love with it too when I first heard it. It was so emotional, and yet it made you want to get up and dance to the beat. "Me too."

Percy hummed and swayed to the song, before stopping and looking me in the eye. "Are you okay? Is it still hurting?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, mother. It's still hurting."

"Well, I'm sorry for checking up on your health."

I smirked at him. "Apology accepted."

We endured a few more moments in comfortable silence. Then, I asked him, "Are you dropping me off at my place?"

Percy grinned. "Up to you, hon. My place or yours?" He winked flirtatiously at me.

I ignored the feeling of arousal that spread through me and smacked him. "Hey, hey, I was just joking." he consoled.

"Well, if you're dropping me off, then I would like to know how you know my address." I retorted.

The smile disappeared off Percy's face. "Uh, I don't."

I sat up. "Then where are you going?"

Percy gave me a sheepish grin. "Uhhh…"

I realized that we were on a street with huge apartments on either side. I didn't live here. Most likely, it was his neighborhood.

"Percy…" I sighed in exhaustion.

"Sorry?"

I pulled up Google Maps on my phone and deciphered that it would take a good 15 minutes to get to my house. Which would be impossible because Percy had spotted the paparazzi on our trail roughly five minutes earlier.

Percy sighed. "Okay, we have two options. You can stay in my guest bedroom until the morning and you can get Piper to pick you up, because most likely, the paparazzi will be waiting for me in the morning. I can cause a distraction and stuff so Piper can get you home safely."

"Or?" I asked.

"I can magically teleport us into your house and teleport back."

"Percy, I hate you. _I_ probably wouldn't have gotten us into this mess."

"Well, Little Miss Wise Girl, you wouldn't have even noticed the paparazzi. Then, they would have cornered us, and I would have had to stay at your place, and most likely, the headlines tomorrow would be, _Percy Jackson Gets Laid!_ Would you prefer that?"

I sneered. "Right now, it's going to be _Percy Jackson Takes a Girl Home_ , so, basically, _Percy Jackson Gets Laid!_ "

Percy pulled into his apartment complex's parking lot and stated firmly. "I would rather get laid my first time at my own apartment."

I raised my eyebrows. People like Percy would probably spend the night with a girl every other day. "You're a virgin?"

He banged his head on the steering wheel. "Yes. Why is that such a surprise?"

"You know, typically, when people are surprised you're a virgin, it's a good thing."

He looked at me quizzically. "It is?"

I scoffed. "Yeah, of course. It means people think you're attractive, noodle brain. No, Seaweed Brain. Even better."

He raised an eyebrow. "Seaweed Brain?"

"Better than Wise Girl."

"Agreed. Well, let's go inside, Wise Girl."

He pulled me into my wheelchair, and we went up to his apartment. When we entered, I was surprised. It wasn't a grand celebrity suite like I had expected. It was just a simple, comfortable apartment that looked like a normal, middle-class guy lived in it. The layout and furniture looked pretty casual and there were a couple clothes strewn over the floor. The kitchen had stuff all over the counters, though very little of it was food. The only difference between it and a normal apartment was that the decor mainly consisted of business awards and Kids' Choice trophies, plus a few pictures of his family and friends.

"It's nice." I remarked wondrously. "It looks really cozy."

Percy smiled fondly at the apartment. "Yeah. It's close to my parents too, so that's pretty convenient."

I snorted, drawing Percy's confused look. "What?"

I shook my head. "Most people don't consider being close to their parents a plus."

"Do you count as most people?"

I thought for a second. "Depends."

"On?"

"Whether my father is drunk or not."

Percy nodded silently and pushed me into the guest room. "Well, you can stay here if you want. Bathroom's in there, and the closet's on the other side."

I raised an eyebrow. "Percy, I don't have any other clothes."

He exhaled. "Right. Uh, I can try and find you something while you get settled." He walked out of the room.

I glanced around the room. It was pretty bare, but that didn't really matter, because it was a guest room. It was painted a dark blue, and the bed was covered with a white and royal blue comforter.

Sighing, I placed my purse on the nightstand and positioned my chair so I could shift onto the bed. After a couple tries, I finally managed to push myself up.

Impulsively, I pulled my shirt up to glance at the gash on my stomach. It was bad. Probably a seven compared to the rest of the wounds I've gotten. It extended from my belly button to my left upper hip. Thankfully, it was pretty shallow, but it was wide, which accounted for all the blood that had soaked into my bandage.

Slowly, I unwrapped the bandage. With every unwinding of the fabric, my waist felt less constricted, but my wound stung more from increased contact with the air. Once I removed it completely, I placed it on the bedside table in a way that didn't get blood on the dark wood. Then, I started examining the wound. It wasn't overly liquidy, which was good, but the dead skin had started to clump around the sides, making it look a lot more disgusting than it actually was. I knew it would take a couple more days for it to completely dry out, but I decided to leave it unwrapped anyway. I preferred that I didn't have a bandage squeezing the life out of my stomach.

At that moment, Percy walked in, and at the sight of my wound, he dropped the clothes in his hand. "Schist. Are you serious? That's from the explosion?"

I quickly dropped the shirt over my wound to cover it. I pretended not to notice the droplets of blood that were getting absorbed by my shirt.

Percy demanded, "No. Show me."

Obligingly, I lifted the hem of my shirt again to show him the wound, and Percy cringed. He crawled onto the bed so that he was holding himself over my legs, and held my shirt up with me. "Gods, that's… terrible."

"It's not that bad. Looks worse than it feels." Not necessarily true.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me, Annabeth. I bet it hurts like Hades."

When he said that, I stiffened. He sounded so annoyed when I let that little white lie loose. What would happen if he found out how much I was really lying to him? Gods, he would want to kill me. He probably wouldn't want to see me ever again.

I mumbled a small 'yeah.' And he let go of the hem of my shirt. He picked up the clothes he dropped and laid them on the bedside table, beside my purse. "I just found one of my smaller shirts, and here's a pair of boxers that I haven't worn yet. You can use these if you want. Let me know if you'd like something else."

I glanced at the clothes. "This is fine. Thank you. So much."

He smiled sweetly at me. "Of course. Call me if you need anything. I'll be in the room across." Then, he closed the door.

I wrapped a new bandage around my wound because I didn't want Percy's shirt getting bloody. Then, I changed into his clothes, which were way too loose but comfortable nonetheless.

I collapsed on the bed and found myself inhaling the smell of the ocean wafting from Percy's shirt. Within seconds, I was fast asleep.

* * *

AN: Again, I kinda put in another interest of mine. I'm a huge EDM fan. Martin Garrix is my favorite. :D

Remember: **Spoiler Alert!**

This is one of the few scenes I have which include Jason, and unfortunately, I wrote this chapter BEFORE I found out his fate in The Burning Maze. And I have to say, my heart was broken when I found out. It still is. I cried that entire day. It legit was like I had lost a brother. And I honestly hate Rick Riordan for doing this to us. I guess I can't really change it. But I haven't come to terms with it either.

But anyways, I know I haven't really captured the essence of Jason in this scene, and I'm sorry that I probably won't be able to, because he plays a pretty minor role in my story, but I really loved him as a character. And I loved his relationship with Piper and I loved him and Percy's bromance even more. There's a Jason-sized hole in my heart, and revising this chapter only widened it. I hate that he had to die. But his memory will live on. :(


	9. Chapter 9

This is more of a shorter filler chapter. Again, there's a bit of fluff. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews!

Disclaimer: These characters were born from the mind of Rick Riordan, and yes, they have belly buttons. I think.

* * *

 **Percy**

It was weird, knowing that somebody else was in your house when you've been living alone for almost seven years. During college, I lived with two roommates, which is how I met Jason and Beckendorf. But during my masters and afterward, I had always lived alone. And I've never really had anyone sleep over, because, I mean, a 28 year-old man doesn't typically have sleepovers or slumber parties, so… yeah. Knowing Annabeth was in the other room made me weirdly nervous.

On normal Saturdays, I would wake up at eleven, do some work until one, eat blue pancakes, do some more work until five, go to the gym, and if I was lucky, hang out with my friends until late at night. But my weirdly hyper belly woke me up at seven today. Grudgingly, I decided to get my butt up and take a shower.

As the warm water trickled down my skin, I thought of the one thing that I had refused to allow myself to think about. The assassination attempt.

There was something that kept bothering me about it. I mean, yeah, the shooter was on some floor above the lobby, but how did Annabeth end up there? If she was on the elevator, then the elevator would have stopped. It wouldn't have opened up and ejected her twenty feet. If she was on the stairs and was blasted away a hundred feet then that would have made sense, but my office was on the thirteenth floor. Why would she try to go up thirteen sets of stairs?

But damn. Annabeth. I didn't know what to do. No other girl had made me feel this way. Not even Rachel. There was something about her that made me want to jump into a fire. In a good way. Was there such thing as a good way to jump into a fire?

And I really wanted to be friends with her, if not more. But all the stars had aligned to keep us as far apart from each other as we could be.

I mean, yesterday was a perfect example. I really enjoyed her company, and she made me want to hear that laugh again and again. But I couldn't dare put her in the spotlight like I did yesterday. The paparazzi would likely ruin her way of life. And as much as I wanted to spend time with her, I didn't want to put her in the path of those two assassins ever again. I knew I shouldn't risk her life just because of my selfish desires.

I had all the reasons in the world to stay away from her. Everything inside me was warning me to keep her at a distance, lest one of us gets hurt. But some weird, supernatural force kept drawing me towards her.

It was all kinds of messed up.

Speaking of messed up, during the days between the assassination attempt and Annabeth's release, I had visited my mentor Chiron. I asked him about what I should do regarding recent events. He had simply told me to be patient, and the mystery behind it all would unravel. And as much as I admired Chiron, his vagueness frustrated me beyond the highest degree. How was I supposed to just sit and wait?

Shortly after that, the police had questioned me about the shooting. I told them all I knew, including the news about Thorn's threat. The next day, they called, informing me that Thorn had gone into hiding. They claimed they would try their best to find him, as soon as possible.

As if. No doubt they would forget about him in a couple of days and focus on some other job. Who cared about some pampered rich guy when more serious things were happening?

Shaking my head, I turned off the shower and dried myself off. I wrapped my towel around my waist and walked into my room to look for some clothes to wear.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have come in!"

I screamed and leapt in fear so rapidly, it was a miracle I didn't drop my towel. Annabeth was sitting in front of my display wall, likely examining the pictures hanging there. I felt her eyes rake across my half-naked body, which normally I would tease her about, but my heart was thumping too wildly for me to comprehend anything.

I placed my hand over my heart, hoping that would calm me down. "No, it's fine. I just got scared."

Annabeth took a sudden interest in her toes, and I finally got a good look at her. She was sitting in her wheelchair with my shirt and boxers on, and damn. She looked really, really, really good. Like, amazingly good. Even though my shirt was probably 3 sizes too big on her, she pulled it off so well. The shirt was slipping off of her shoulder enticingly. My boxers showed off her long, tan legs, which I could stare at all day. I guarantee you, I almost drooled.

I drew myself from my trance. "What are you looking at?" I asked while grabbing a T-shirt, shorts, and boxers from my closet.

She blushed. "Just your pictures. Is this your mom?"

I slipped my shirt over my head and walked up to the picture she was pointing at. "Yeah. That's my mom, my friend Grover, and yours truly. I think that was on my first day of summer camp?"

Darn, those years had been some of the greatest of my life. I had a lot of fun, and it kind of turned my attitude around about school and my abilities. It was a great confidence booster, and Chiron happened to work there too over the summer. It also gave me a respite from Gabe. But my mom wasn't so lucky. I called every day to make sure he hadn't done anything bad and to try convincing her to leave him. But I always received the same dialogue. That I needed a father figure, and I should try to appreciate his presence.

Annabeth smiled teasingly at me. "Puberty did not treat you well, did it?"

I gulped. There was something so beautiful about her. From the slight curve of her lips to the sterling silver of her eyes and the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. I wanted to know every little detail. I wanted to feel her smooth skin under mine. Most of all, I wanted to taste those soft, flushed lips again.

Desire flushed through my body like water splashing down a pipe.

Screw it. Screw the fact that we couldn't be together. I didn't care. Please, gods, just let me do what I wanted to for once.

I bent down. My face was a couple inches from hers. "You're talking to a 2018 candidate for People's Sexiest Man Alive, Wise Girl."

She blushed lightly but kept up our banter. "Egotistic much?"

I crossed my arms. "Well, I dare you to bring me a picture of you going through puberty and actually looking okay. Then we'll see."

Annabeth smirked. "Easy. Is that all?"

Impulsively, I leaned closer. "If only." And I kept moving my face forward. Slowly, so she could pull away if she wanted, but quick enough to make my intentions clear. But I stopped when our lips were millimeters apart, because I wanted her to close the distance.

My stomach started squirming in its place. I wanted this so badly. I needed this more than you could ever imagine. And maybe it was just lust. Or maybe it was deprivation from any love-related pleasures. But all I knew at that moment was that I really wanted her to kiss me.

I could feel her breath on my lips, and I grew increasingly anxious. Would she come to me? Or would she shove me away and leave, like she did that day at the coffee shop?

The moment our mouths touched, my insides started burning with passion. Gods, she felt so good. Her lips were so soft, and she tasted like strawberries, and I didn't know what I had done to deserve her, to feel this feeling. I just knew that I wanted to stay like this for the rest of my life, kissing her, touching her, and showing her that maybe I could make her happy. That maybe she should be with me. And that if she stayed with me, then I wouldn't let her down.

Annabeth pulled away slightly, making me want more. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

I kissed her again, fiercely but gently, before replying. "I don't care."

She put her hands on my neck, running her fingers through the hair on the back of my head, and I shivered with anticipation. I could feel her smile against my mouth as I wrapped my arm around her waist and leaned in further.

It was over all too soon. Annabeth gave me a slight push and told me to put my pants on. I'm sure she meant it teasingly, but I could see the blush spreading through her cheeks.

Complacently, I slipped into the bathroom to put the rest of my clothes on.

I exited to find Annabeth on the phone with someone. The moment she saw me, her face turned as white as whipped cream. She put down her phone and gave me a shaky grin.

"What happened?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing major. Just a junk call."

I raised an eyebrow. "Was it one of those dumb scams? You looked scared."

She gulped and nodded. "Yeah."

But I could tell there was something wrong. Something she wasn't telling me.

I let it go, because she obviously didn't want to talk about it. "Well, I shall make pancakes. How many do you normally eat?"

Annabeth widened her eyes at me. "No, you aren't making them alone. I…" She faltered when she realized she couldn't reach the stove from her wheelchair. "Never mind."

I smiled at her. "It's ok. You can crack the eggs."

I pushed her to the kitchen and pulled out of the ingredients for my mom's famous blue pancakes. Out of all of the things my mom had taught me to make, this had easily been the recipe I used most often. I had them every weekend and couple times during the week. I may not make them as well as my mom does, but I still love eating them. Actually, I love eating, period.

Annabeth and I put all the ingredients into the bowl and I switched on the mixer, which started vibrating vigorously in my hand. I jokingly pointed it at Annabeth as if I were going to stab her with it, and she laughed.

"Arrr, matey. It be time for you to walk the plank!" I exclaimed.

"Shut up, Percy." she remarked. "Should I turn on the TV?"

"Sure," I replied.

Annabeth wheeled herself to the couch and searched for the remote while I blended the pancake mix. By the time my mix was smooth and creamy, the TV had been turned on to E! News.

"Percy, it's us." Annabeth warned.

I looked up. Sure enough, a picture of Jason, Piper, Annabeth and me was plastered on the screen. Annabeth raised the volume so we could hear what the reporter was saying.

"In other news, could our favorite self-made millionaire be finally moving on from the single life? Yesterday, Perseus Jackson had gone out with a couple of friends, including Jason Grace, heir to Olympus Airlines. However, this outing seemed like less of a friends' night and more of a double date. Jackson was seen holding a certain blonde's hand, and Grace left with the brunette in tow."

I looked at Annabeth with wide eyes. Did that mean they didn't see us leaving together? And they didn't realize that Annabeth came to my home?

The reporter continued. "One of the girls has been identified as Piper McLean, daughter of the famous actor Tristan McLean and the model slash makeup-mogul dubbed Aphrodite. But who is the other beautiful mystery girl? And could there be more going on here than a simple friendship? Has the notoriously single Perseus Jackson found the one at last?"

The show went on to show a clip from an interview from last year, where I had said I would only date if I was seriously attracted to the person in question. I snorted. There may have been some truth to what the reporter was saying, but I honestly found it funny how they made it seem like the world's next big mystery. These guys made a huge deal out of every little thing. I wondered if people actually believed their BS.

Annabeth stared at me like I was crazy. "They put up our pictures, and you laugh?"

I dumped blueberries into the pancake mix and shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, and I'm actually really happy they didn't catch us coming here. Hopefully, they don't get us again, though. I don't want them to attach themselves to you."

Annabeth looked shocked. "But haven't they already?"

I shook my head. "If they don't see us together for long enough, they'll give up on trying to find you. Besides, the fact that they couldn't identify you is good. That means there's a lower chance of them invading your privacy."

She nodded sadly. "I mean, I kind of expected this, but it still feels really weird, you know? I'm… a bit scared."

Smiling, I walked over to her wheelchair and kissed her on the head. "I used to be too. But as invasive as they can seem, they're actually harmless. They can only find out what's on the internet, so as long as you don't have anything groundbreaking there, you've got nothing to lose."

Annabeth visibly relaxed, and I went back to making my pancakes. We sat at the island together to eat and made smiley faces on each other's food with whipped cream. Annabeth complained about how I was going to make her gain 20 pounds, but I ate twice as much as her on a regular basis and gained nothing. She shoved me when I vocalized that, but I didn't really get why.

After breakfast, she called Piper to pick her up. But apparently Piper wanted to talk to me?

"What's your master plan?" she demanded.

"What?"

"How are you getting her out of there without the paps taking away her sanity?"

I laughed. "I'll leave for work soon, and I'm 90% sure they'll all try to follow me. Once they've left and the coast is clear, you can pick her up from the back gate."

"Coolio. By the way, how do I get rid of my freaking picture? It's everywhere! I can't go anywhere without seeing my face plastered on some screen!"

"I only wish I could do something about it. I honestly don't know why they're making such a huge deal out of this. Normally, they care more about Justin Bieber and the Kardashians than me."

"Huh." Piper was unimpressed. "Well, I'm expecting you to bring us home safely. One more pic goes up on there, and I'm kicking you in the balls and sending you straight to the Underworld."

"Point taken."

Piper hung up.

Annabeth asked, "What did she say?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Threatening to kick me in the balls and other assorted insults."

Annabeth cracked a smile and gestured for me to sit on the sofa next to her. I did.

She looked at me hesitantly. "Percy, I have to thank you."

I blinked. "For what?"

"I… I treated you pretty badly at first, and you know that, and within a day we went from hating each other to liking each other, and then you know, I ran away, which, I shouldn't have done, but I also know exactly why I did it and, I guess I'm just trying to say sorry. For all the crap I put you through and more. And even though we both know this probably won't work out, even though we come from completely different worlds, I'm really thankful that you gave me the chance to spend time with you."

"Don't say that. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I got you into this mess, and here I am holding you hostage while I should be getting you out of it. I don't blame you for that day. You shouldn't blame yourself either. And never, ever sell yourself short. You're better than you think you are. Just believe it. Like I do."

Annabeth gaped at me. "Woah. Did the Seaweed Brain just say something sentimental?"

I grinned and leaned forward, so my nose was almost touching hers. "Big word alert."

Annabeth laughed and kissed me on the nose. "There he is."

Within the next couple minutes, I grudgingly left the apartment with a light smile on my face. For obvious reasons, I was beyond giddy.

Once I reached the front gate, hordes of paparazzi attacked me with questions about where I had been last night and what I was doing. I had already done some post-date cleanup by tweeting the link to the E! News article about us and captioning it with a "lol". Hopefully, they would assume that meant they were being absurd. If not, then I just had to offer a statement that said it.

I wordlessly pushed past the crowd and hopped into my car. It took awhile for me to navigate through the cameramen without smashing into them like a GTA driver, but I managed. I could only pray that this would drag them away from my home and let Annabeth leave in peace.

Gods, I had so much work to do. The guest lists and logistics had been finalized for the Triton gala, but I still had to oversee the preparations and stuff up until the end of next month, when it would be taking place. Plus, I still had that report for the EPA to deal with and I needed to create that schedule of all the projects we were undertaking, plus their budgets and involved branches.

As I was navigating through the busy streets, my ringtone echoed through the car. It wasn't a number I recognized, but I picked up anyway. "Hello?"

"Hi, Percy. It's Chris."

Recognition dawned on me. I had given the hospital staff my number and requested that Chris call me once he had fully recovered from surgery. He was probably delivering on that promise.

"Hey. How are you?"

Chris's voice sounded hoarse as he stammered, "I'm fine. Don't, like, don't worry about me. I just wanted to…" He wanted to apologize. I could tell by the tone of his voice. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame him for it. He was just another target in Thorn's messed up game.

"Chris, it's okay. I get it. You were scared." I assured.

"That doesn't make it excusable, Percy. It was a terrible thing to do and I shouldn't have done it."

"Chris. Trust me. It's fine. I'm okay." I calmly stated. "But just tell me, did Thorn or the assassin threaten you? Did they say something that scared you?"

He paused. "Uh…" So in other words, yes. They did.

"You're safe, Chris. They won't hurt you anymore. It's okay if you tell me."

Chris took a couple deep breaths and finally sighed. "Yes. Thorn did. He said she would kill my wife."

"She? Who's she?"

"The assassin. The one that shot us that day. It was a she. I think she had dark hair. Almost black. She didn't show her face, but I caught a glimpse of her hair." A wave of chills descended over me, and I gulped. A she? I didn't expect that. Based on what I knew, women were far less cruel and willing to kill than men were.

I desperately wanted to question him more, but I knew I shouldn't. He was stressed. He was in recovery. I could tell that he wanted nothing more than to drop the topic. That assassin had really rattled him, and I didn't want to make him feel worse. "Thank you, Chris. I hope you feel better."

He murmured a weak "okay" and his voice faded to silence. But before I could hang up, he cried, "Percy, just know that… I owe my life to you now. If there's anything you need me to do for you, please let me know."

"Chris, you don't need to-"

"Please, Percy. Let me do this for you. It'll help ease my conscience, if not make you feel better."

"I…," my voice cracked. "Thank you, Chris. Stay safe."

I hung up. My mind was racing with the new information I had learned. One dark-haired female assassin was on my tail. Maybe that would help me keep an eye out if she were to stalk me. But the other assassin?

And regarding Chris, if I were in his place, I didn't think I would have done things differently. It angered me, how people so screwed up in the head thought it was okay to play with people like Thorn had done to Chris.

Gods. What was going on? My life had taken a weirdly exciting turn ever since that night at the bar, and I couldn't figure out whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. I guess time would tell.

Once I reached the ever-familiar confines of my office, I sprawled myself on the floor and started typing up my report. I was the kind of person who couldn't stay in one place for long. I still felt the effects of my ADHD on a daily basis. However, I had powered through dyslexia years ago with the help of my mom and Paul. I still was a slow-as-heck reader, but I definitely saw improvement from my public school years.

I spent the rest of the day alternating report-typing with jumping jacks, but I couldn't push away the strange feeling that something bad was going to happen, very soon.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys! Here's the next chapter! This is, I think, on the better side, regarding writing style and stuff. I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to review when you can.

Also, just a random thought, but I've been rereading the HoH series again for like, the fifteenth time, except weirdly, this time, I've been paying more attention to characterization and the way they express themselves. Idk. Maybe it's just the effects of being in high school english. But it's pretty remarkable how you notice new things every time you reread something. I mean, it's already a well-known fact. I guess I'm just randomly commenting on it.

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan possesses all the rights to these characters. Meaning he is in control of the well-beings of our hearts.

* * *

 **Annabeth**

Gods. He was so. Freaking. Attractive. I was surprised I didn't spontaneously faint when I saw him standing in front of his dresser with only a towel on. There was no other way to describe him except chiseled. You could see every line of his muscles clearly, as if they were drawn on with marker. His entire body was a solid, sturdy column with ridges and grooves that accented him to perfection. The curves of his arms and legs were delicate, yet incredibly firm. There was no way he wasn't sculpted by the gods themselves.

Then he went inside to change. For the longest time, I was just staring dazedly at the wall, wondering how I could have possibly scored such an amazing guy. That is, until my phone started buzzing in my pocket.

I drew it out of my purse and glanced at it. Unknown number. Huh.

I debated accepting the call, but in the end, I picked up anyway. "Hello?"

"Wow. That took you awhile. Were you too busy kissing your boyfriend or something?"

What the… "Wait, who is this?"

"Don't you remember me, Annabeth Chase? You sounded a lot more sophisticated that day at Thalassa."

I gasped. It was the other assassin. "How did you get my number?"

"Easy. All I had to do was ask Thorn. He's a pretty powerful man, you know."

I heard the toilet flush, and I realized Percy was going to come out any minute. I blurted "Sorry, gotta go. Bye."

"Wait…"

End Call.

How the frick did she find out what my real name was? And my real number? I had given Thorn a fake name and the number of one of my disposable phones, which was currently sitting on my desk in my apartment. How could she have possibly found me out?

But wait. Why did she call me in the first place?

Percy stepped out of the bathroom in his typical T-shirt and jeans, his towel wrapped around his neck like a scarf. He twisted and turned for me, with his hands on his hips. "How do I look?"

I made the 'okay' sign with my fingers, but I couldn't force myself to smile.

Percy asked me about the call, so I made up some random lie. He didn't believe me, but he didn't pry, which I was incredibly grateful for. He then pushed me into the kitchen to make pancakes.

Guilt immediately overtook me. I was lying to him about everything. My job. My identity. The fact that I was supposed to be killing him. And here he was, that beautiful soul, making me pancakes and telling me his story like he could trust me with his life.

As we mixed the ingredients, I realized I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't live this lie. I couldn't expect him to give me everything when I had given him nothing.

I didn't deserve him. Not in the least.

"Percy?" I called. I had to do it now. I had to tell him what I was. He would hate me for sure, but I had to risk it.

"Yeah?" he replied. The sound of rushing water crept up my nerves as he washed his hands.

And just like the tap water, my courage rushed away. I couldn't do this face-to-face. His expression of hurt and betrayal would be too much for me to see.

I quickly changed my dialogue to, "Wait, never mind. I found it." and held up my phone as if I had misplaced it.

Percy laughed. "I do that all the time. Like yesterday. My car keys were in my hand, but I couldn't find them."

Then, the adorable boy started threatening me with his mixer. I laughed, but on the inside, I was hating myself even more. I needed to get away from him. I needed to stop playing him. I needed to minimize the pain he would feel.

So I wheeled to the couch and turned on the TV. I was going to pull myself out of my chair to sit on the couch, but the image I saw paralyzed me from head to toe.

It was a picture of Percy, Piper, Jason and I sitting at a table in an Italian restaurant. Percy had a piece of pasta dangling from his chin and the rest of us were laughing. The image was grainy and pixelated, but I got the essence of it. They had seen us. I was now on national television. They knew who I was. And, oh my god. They would announce it on live television, and Percy would find out and hate me, and I would be sent to jail and...

My mind faded out of reality as I cursed at myself. I should have known. I should have thought about the possible implications of going on that double date. My entire life, I've been a meticulous planner. I never did anything unless I knew it would be logical and safe. As a result, I hardly ever took risks unless there was a high probability I would succeed.

But when I accepted the invitation to Buon Italiano, I had done nothing of the sort. I had forgotten that I was going to dinner with two of the most famous people in the country. All logic had left me.

What was going on with me?

I was pulled back into reality when I heard the words "mystery girl". I paused. Did that mean… they didn't find out who I was? Was luck seriously on my side?

A couple more seconds of listening confirmed it. I was a nobody to them. They hadn't discovered anything about me. I sighed in relief.

But what if they eventually did?

Behind me, Percy snorted. I asked him what was so funny. He came up to me and kissed my head, and I'll admit, he made me feel a lot better, but throughout breakfast, I couldn't stop panicking. I had put myself out there. I had brought unwanted attention to myself. And now there was next to nothing stopping the paparazzi from finding out my true identity.

After breakfast, I went back into the guest room and called Piper. She picked up almost immediately.

"Annabeth, did you see the freaking news?"

"Yes, Piper. I saw the freaking news."

"It won't be as bad for me, I know. In fact, it might be good, because the publicity might help me score a role or two. But for you? Damn, you got lucky they don't know who you are."

"I know, Piper. I don't know what to do. I was stupid. Percy said they can only find what's on the internet, but I'm still scared."

"Wait, Percy said… you don't mean to say he's with you, do you?"

"Oh, don't act like it's such a big deal. I bet you went straight to Jason's."

"Uhhhh..."

"See? You did! What did you do over there?"

Piper ignored me. "Whatever. Anyways, how are you going to get home then? Unless you took him to your place."

I rolled my eyes. "No, Percy's got this plan to get me out. You should probably talk to him about it."

I handed off the phone and sighed. I needed to create a plan of action. One that involved me getting the other assassin off Percy's trail and then leaving promptly after. I couldn't tangle myself with him any longer. It would only hurt him even more.

But before I did end up leaving him, I had to make sure he knew how I felt. I had to show him that he deserved more than I could ever be for him.

As soon as Percy brought me back my phone, I spilled my heart out to him. I apologized for treating him the way I did at the bar and at Starbucks and for causing him excessive worry when I got hurt at Thalassa. I told him how grateful I was that he was here for me, supporting me, and being an overall amazing person who I could never deserve. But it broke my heart to remind him that we were two people who came from different worlds. We were literally oceans away. There was a very slim chance that we would actually work out.

And when he replied back to me with that loving smile and those bright eyes, I almost burst into tears. Thankfully, I saved myself by cracking some random joke, but once Percy left, I started crying.

This boy, he deserved the world. And I prayed to the gods that whoever he ended up with would give it to him and more.

I had successfully wiped away all my tears and cleaned myself up before Piper came. I changed back into my old clothes, which were slightly bloody from my stomach wound, but nobody was going to see me except for Piper anyway.

Before I left the apartment building, I inhaled its scent, knowing that I wouldn't be back here, most likely ever. It smelled kind of like Percy. A pleasant mix of the ocean, Febreze, and pancakes.

I did my best to ingrain that smell in my brain as I locked the door and placed his keys in the secret compartment behind a potted plant. Then, I walked to the back gate of the apartment complex.

When I went outside, Piper was impatiently waiting in her Audi convertible. She helped me out of my wheelchair and shoved it in the trunk before telling me to "spill the deets".

"I swear on my life, we did absolutely nothing. I slept in the guest room."

Piper raised an eyebrow. Her sunglasses were slipping off the bridge of her nose. "Then explain why you're blushing."

"Because we didn't do anything and you're pressuring me! Start the car, beauty queen."

Piper whined, "I thought I told you not to call me that!"

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, what were you and Jason up to?"

Piper kept her eyes on the road. "We… watched a movie."

"Hm. Really? What movie?"

Piper opened her mouth in thought. "I… don't really remember."

I laughed. "So you didn't watch the movie."

Piper looked taken aback. "I did! Of course I did. I just, don't really remember the name."

"Because you were too busy making out with Jason."

"I… okay, fine. Maybe. Yes."

The grin on my face spread from ear to ear. "Good. I'm happy for you."

Piper blushed. "Hey, well, I know you did something with Percy. I can smell him on you."

I wrinkled my nose. "How do you know how he smells?"

"Because he doesn't smell like you. He actually smells good."

I shoved Piper's arm. "Thanks a lot."

But Piper seemed to notice how my expression shifted. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't know what to do. I really want to be with him, but I don't want to hurt him. I'm not the person who he thinks I am."

Piper knitted her eyebrows. "Oh, Annabeth. You're better than the person he thinks you are. It's time for you to believe it. And besides, you declined the offer, so you can finally start over and get a job and actually stay with him for the rest of your life! I can try to get a job for you at the next audition I go to, but you'll have to come with."

I shook my head. "Piper, you don't understand. I made a mistake." Piper looked at me expectantly. "I accidentally accepted."

Piper slammed the brake hard, and the cars behind her started honking in outrage. "You, WHAT?"

So I told her the story. She listened carefully as I told her my thought process and she held my hand whenever I felt like crying. By the end of my story, we had reached my apartment.

She chewed on her lip and thought in silence. After a good 2 minutes, she remarked, "Call the rich guy and decline, then."

I nodded. "I will, but I have to keep the other assassin off his trail. That itself will occupy me before I have any chance to start over."

"Well, you'll just have take your chances. Get that woman out of here and get your man to yourself."

Biting my lip, I nodded.

Piper continued, "Oh my gods, we've been trying to convince you to give up being an assassin for so long. We should have just found you a man earlier. You're a lot more motivated to change for others than you are to change for yourself. It's weird."

She dropped me off in my apartment and left soon after, because apparently she had an audition to prepare for. But I couldn't stop thinking about what she said. Why was it that I had given up on changing myself until I met someone I wanted to change for? And was it really possible for me to become something new? To chase my dream?

I had tried to escape my identity multiple times. The first was right after I had killed Fan Zhi's murderer. I was twelve years old and baffled by what I had done. I told Luke that I wouldn't do it anymore, and I scrounged for jobs all around the neighborhood. I babysat children, ran errands, walked dogs, and anything else I could to earn a little money. On average, I earned about $100 per week. I spent roughly $90 of all of that money making food and getting supplies for me and my family. The other $10 went to the piggy bank for paying off my father's loans. The event that set off my next killing spree was when my father got beat up for not following through on a bet he made. For five thousand freaking dollars.

The only other time I stopped for more than a month was after my father went into rehab. I actually stopped for a year, that time. But then my brothers got thrown in jail for larceny and I had to bail them out, not one, but multiple times. This was when I was twenty, and had tried out for multiple jobs, but had failed to get them because of my lack of schooling.

Now, I didn't have to worry about my father or my brothers. My accounts were doing better than they ever were. Though I didn't have enough money to pay for 4 years of college and still live comfortably on my own, I could likely find a roommate. I would probably have to take a loan out as well, but that wasn't a major problem.

I wondered with a smile on my face: what was it about Percy that could give me hope when even my best friends couldn't?

Could I really shed my life as an assassin away forever?

That reminded me. I had to call Thorn and withdraw from the offer.

I grabbed my disposable phone from my desk and clicked on his name. Within a couple rings, I heard a high-pitched, "Helloo?"

I deepened my voice, just like I always had when I talked to him. "I'm withdrawing. You don't need to worry about giving me the 300 grand anymore."

Thorn tsk'ed at me. "Oh dear, oh dear. This won't do at all."

"With all due respect, that's not my problem anymore. But can't you find another way to deal with Perseus Jackson? Without, you know, killing him?"

He replied, "Well, you see, my two week deadline was extended to two months, because my boss and I were counting on a showdown at the gala. The perfect opportunity for a dramatic spectacle. The plans have been finalized, so it's much too late now. Perseus Jackson must be killed, no matter what."

"The gala?"

"Whoops! I've said too much! Bye!"

My thoughts?

One, I thought villains who always spilled their plans only existed in the movies. Kids' movies, to be precise. Guess I was wrong.

Two, I had to research what kind of gala was being held in a month. It must be a pretty popular one, if it would create a "dramatic spectacle" like Thorn's boss wanted.

Three, who the heck was Thorn's boss? He definitely didn't have a corporate boss, considering he was the CEO of his own company. Unless it was someone from his board?

I quickly researched the members of Thornton Suites' board and wrote them down. I called Leo and asked him to research them and give me some info. Then, I snooped around Thorn and Thornton Suites' social media to find out if any other people were somehow involved with him. Unfortunately, I found nothing.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I needed to find this boss of his and somehow figure out how to stop him from killing Percy. All within six weeks. And I didn't even know what gala he was talking about.

I made a mental note to look up the gala and slammed my laptop shut. My mind needed some air. Fresh air. Not just the smell of cars meandering through the congested streets.

I snatched my phone, some drawing tools, and my sketchpad and wheeled myself out the door. There was a park about a fifteen minute walk away from here, which I loved to go to when I needed to think. But considering my new situation, it would be a lot harder to get there.

I grunted in annoyance and started pushing myself forward. Thankfully, the road was pretty flat, so I wouldn't start spiraling out of control on a downhill or an uphill. But still, my arms were killing me by the time I reached the halfway mark. I pulled over to the right of the sidewalk to catch my breath.

Suddenly, my wheelchair lurched forward. I grouchily began, "Why do people keep doing that?" But as soon as I realized who it was, the words fell off my tongue.

It was the other assassin.

She was wearing casual clothes today, unlike her black getup at Thalassa. She wore black skinny jeans and a bright red tank top that was covered by a black and blue bomber jacket. A smirk adorned her red-painted lips, but I didn't see any other signs of makeup. And she still looked perfect.

I glanced at her hands, which were clenched tightly around my chair handles. There were no ring tans, but she wore a smartwatch on her left hand. So she was a rightie.

"What are you doing here?" I prayed that my voice didn't betray the anxiousness I felt.

The girl shrugged. "You know, just taking a stroll. Totally not following you or anything."

I blanched. "Following me?"

"Yeah. So yesterday, I was actually following Perseus to find out his daily schedule and stuff, because what you told me really hit my heart. I realized that, yeah, I shouldn't harm innocent people. So I decided that I would take Perseus down when he was alone. With no risk to others."

I knew where this was going, but I let her continue.

"Anyways, I followed him as he left work yesterday, and for some reason, he didn't go home. He went straight to this restaurant called Buon Italiano. Ring a bell?"

If it was comfortable for me to stay turned in my chair, I would have been glaring straight at her.

As soon as she reached the street across from the park, she stopped and whispered in my ear. Slowly. Menacingly. "But then I saw you. Laughing with him. Holding his hand. Looking at him as if he were the only person in the room. And then I realized why you wouldn't let me kill him."

She navigated through the streets with me in tow, and parked me beside a bench overlooking the park. "Afterward, I saw you getting into his car. I took a picture, because pictures speak a thousand words, right? I thought I could get some good money off of it if I sold it to a magazine. But then I figured, what if I used it for something else?"

I gulped, remembering the flash of light that had startled Percy and I before we left. "That was you."

"Yup. And if you want this to stay off the press, back off of my kill."

I snickered. Then chuckled. Which promptly descended into a full-blown guffaw. The smile quickly faded from the girl's face. "You...you actually think that I care about the press?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably on the bench when she realized I was laughing at her.

I calmed myself down and continued. "I don't care what the world thinks of me. And unlike you, I don't care about the money. If I did, then the offer wouldn't have made its way to you in the first place. Consider this. I would be set for life with the 600 grand that Thorn promised me. But I didn't accept because I knew that I would be killing a good man. And that was before I got to know Percy. In case you didn't know, I haven't killed a single man who hasn't killed another."

The assassin's expression still looked malicious. And yet, feelings of doubt danced in her eyes. She picked at her fingernails. Was that embarrassment I detected?

I concluded, "Try not to judge people before actually getting to know them."

She stayed silent. Which was followed by a: "You got him up to 600k?"

I smiled. "I got him up to 750k, but then I asked for a couple days before accepting. He pulled it back down to compensate."

We sat in silence for a second. As I observed her, I realized that the confident facade she had put up earlier wasn't true at all. She did it to hide her true self. She did it to make herself feel less vulnerable. She had gotten hurt before, and acting confident was her way of reinforcing her walls. You know how I recognized it? That was me before I met Percy.

She glanced at me sideways. Her eyes shone with an emotion that I couldn't place. "I'm Reyna, by the way."

I internally gasped. She was opening up to me? Her archenemy? "I'm Annabeth."

"I know. I saw you on TV this morning."

I flipped my hair dramatically. "I know. Didn't I look stylish?"

That got me a laugh. It was short and quiet, but genuine. And for a second, I thought that maybe Reyna and I could become friends.

"Why do you do it?" she asked.

I sighed. I didn't like telling my story. When I told it to Piper, Leo and Calypso for the first time, I hated it. It made me seem overly pitiful, and then absolutely heartless in its second half. And besides, it's incredibly scary when you're opening your heart out to someone else. No matter how close they are to you. But I figured if anyone would understand it, Reyna would. Most likely, she was put in a similar position as me.

"I'll give you the short version. My mother died. We were poor. My father got drunk. My step-mom eloped. Father got more drunk. We were even more poor. So I felt like I had to, to support my family. And now that things have finally settled down, I want to stop. I think I have a good chance of being able to pick my life back up."

Reyna nodded. I could see those gears working in her brain and she processed my words and compared it to her own story.

I gently prodded, "Can I get an answer to that question from you?"

Pain clouded her expression. "Maybe not just yet."

I nodded. It had taken years for me to open up to my current friends. It was entirely understandable that Reyna didn't want to open up to me.

And then I realized something. If I couldn't get Thorn to get off of Percy's case, then maybe I could get Reyna to. Then, all I would have to do is find out who Thorn's boss was and deal with him separately. I started off gently. "Is it possible for me to convince you to not kill Percy?"

Reyna looked at me, her eyes churning with sorrow and neglect. "I'm sorry. I really need the money."

"Maybe I could help you find another way to get it."

Reyna got up and shook her head. Her entire body language screamed _I'm angry_ , but I didn't think it was entirely directed at me. "Don't treat me like a charity case, Annabeth. I know you don't want me to kill your new boyfriend, but I'll do what I have to do to survive. I don't need your permission for it."

She stormed away.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I could remember at least ten times where I had felt the same way. In fact, I remembered a very similar conversation I had with Calypso. I had appreciated her concern, but at the same time, I had thought I knew what was best for me. No doubt, Reyna felt the same way.

I shook my head. Now that Reyna had refused to back down, I had to embark on my plan of action. And I had to stop Reyna from taking her shot on the actual day. And to do that, I needed to find out her plan.

But I had to do one last thing. The thing I had been putting off the longest, for fear of the recipient's reaction.

He took a while to pick up. When he did, his voice sounded groggy. "Hello?"

I took a deep breath. "Hi, Percy."

I heard some shuffling and grumbling from the other line before a newly alert Percy replied, "Annabeth! Shoot. I slept at work. I am such an idiot."

I laughed. Gods, he was making it so much harder for me to tell him.

"Anyways, is there a reason you called?"

My breath caught in my throat. "Uh, yeah. I…"

Get it out, Annabeth. Get. It. Out.

"I haven't been entirely upfront with you about my life."

"Huh?"

"I…"

Gods, will you stop being such a scaredy cat and tell him already?

"I'm not an architect, Percy."

There we go. Slow baby steps.

My heart clenched as I waited for his reaction.

He sounded relatively confused. "Oh. Okay. Is there a reason why you lied?"

Gods, Percy. Stop asking all of the right questions!

"I… well, I'm kinda ashamed of what I actually am. More than ashamed, actually."

Percy chuckled lightly. "What are you, a prostitute or something? Not that I would mind if you were..."

I blushed profusely. "NO! No. I just… it's hard to say."

Percy's gentle voice echoed through the phone. "Do you want to tell me?"

I gulped. Just four words. I. Am. An. Assassin. You can do it, Annabeth.

"I… I don't think I'm ready to tell you. I'm sorry." Shit. You absolute, idiotic coward.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I really appreciate you telling me the truth. Thank you."

"I'm sorry." I croaked again.

"No. Ssh. It's okay. Just, don't feel like you have to hold back from me, okay? You can tell me anything. Just remember that."

"Okay."

He cleared his throat. "Also, I've been kinda wanting to ask you for a bit, but, you know the Triton gala?"

I froze. "Uh, no?"

"Oh. Well, it's the annual gala that Thalassa hosts to raise profits and celebrate the oceans."

"Okay."

"And I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come? Like, with me?"

Wait a second… "When is it?"

"Oh. The end of next month."

Schist. Was _that_ the gala Thorn was talking about? They were going to kill Percy at his own gala?

Percy continued. "I mean, they'll obviously get pictures of you with me, so it's going to be a worse situation than what happened yesterday, but…"

I couldn't care less. I had to get into that gala to stop Reyna. Screw it if I went to prison straight afterwards. At least Percy would be alive. "I would love to come."

Percy audibly smiled. "Awesome! Well, I have to go finish this report right now. I'll talk to you later. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

I immediately hung up the phone.

Gods, I was so stupid. I knew I was only delaying the inevitable. I eventually _had_ to tell him what I really was. It eventually _had_ to hurt him. But I couldn't do it yet. If he found out, he would take away my invite to the gala and get himself killed. I would tell him after the gala for sure.

Half the weight was off my shoulders. The other half would be here to stay until the end of next month. Along with Percy's trust in me, but who's counting?

I opened my sketchbook to the most recent blueprint I had been working on. It was my take on the inside of the Thalassa building (because the outside was already perfect). It featured Greek columns, vaulted ceilings, and sweeping adornments that played on the whole ocean theme. It was definitely a work-in-progress, but had a lot of potential to become something worthwhile.

I flipped to the next page with an idea in my head. The outline came easily to me, since it had been sitting in my head for quite some time now. Lines extended across the page like wisps of smoke: slowly and gracefully. Pencil marks layered upon each other as if the design was being built in real life, rather than on paper. Rough sketches turned into solid lines. Solid lines turned into walls. And the walls transformed into a manifestation of my greatest hopes and dreams, all packed into one building.

And I sat there, for who knows how long, just drawing my heart out on a piece of paper. And just like that, all of my stress, all of my doubts, faded away like the mist on a hot summer day.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading! I would really appreciate any reviews you guys have!

I feel like Reyna's really out of character in this story, because, you know, she's really the kind of person who _never_ lets her emotions show, and in this chapter, Annabeth finds her pretty easy to read. But I kinda needed to speed up the whole Reyna/Annabeth talking to each other, and I didn't really know how else I could get the story moving along.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words and support! I really appreciate it! Every single review of yours makes me really, really happy. :D**

 **The story takes a pretty big turn at this point. Keep in mind that it's been a month and a half since the last chapter. Also, we're nearing the halfway mark for this story. Just an FYI.**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, nor will they ever be. They belong to Rick Riordan. :(**

* * *

 **Percy - roughly a month and a half later**

These past couple months, I had been enjoying life more than I ever had. Even though things were getting busier with the gala coming up, I found myself swept up in my work. Time started passing by too quickly.

Silena's funeral had occurred a month-ish back. I cried my eyes out that day. Surprisingly, I also saw Chris there. Turns out, his now-fiancée Clarisse, who had come with him, was one of my old childhood bullies. It really is a small world. Clarisse was a lot nicer to me at the funeral, obviously. Apparently, she and Silena had gotten really close a couple years ago, and the latter was great at giving her love advice.

In other news, the police's investigation into Thorn was pretty much fruitless. Along with Thorn disappeared all possible forms of evidence that could point to his involvement in the shooting. They had promised me they would let me know once anything came up, but I knew that, since they had other things to worry about, they wouldn't focus on this case anymore.

On top of all that, Annabeth and I spent almost every day together, in some way or form. Whether it was just watching a movie after work or going to an amusement park together on the weekends. And I learned a lot more about her. I learned she was deathly afraid of spiders, she hated when people touched her stuff, and she kept a safe with nothing but a Yankees cap in it, because it was a gift from her late mother. She was also amazing at grabber-arm games. Once, we went to an arcade and for the five tickets we spent on it, she brought back six stuffed animals. She got two animals at a time at one point.

And with every passing day, I fell harder and harder for her. I became addicted to her every move, her every mannerism, and with every passing day, I wanted her more and more.

I knew it was unhealthy for me to feel that way, especially after only two months of knowing her. But it wasn't under my control anymore. I was completely taken with her. Over the past couple months, Annabeth had wormed her way into my circle and grasped my heart within her hands. And I was more than okay with it.

Today was the day of the Triton gala, and I was weirdly excited for it. I mean, obviously, I was always excited for it, but this time, i had a lot more butterflies. Partly because Annabeth was coming with me, partly because I had a feeling today was going to be a big night. There was just something coming that had my stomach churn and my hairs raised. I couldn't wait for the day to turn into night, so we could get the party started.

It was customary for the company to give its employees a holiday on the day of the gala, so I couldn't go to work and finish my outline for a possible new app (that would provide all of the stats regarding a water sample's pollution level with just one picture). So I had to just sit at home for the entire day and find something to do.

Quickly, I skimmed over the night's itinerary. There was the red carpet event, where international celebrities would lay their mark, followed by a short speech and dancing. After appetizers, there would be more dancing. There would also be various setups that displayed all of the projects that we were working on as a company and included interactive activities for everyone to enjoy (the all-time favorite was petting the baby sea turtles from our sea life research facilities). Dinner would come shortly afterward, featuring a performance from none other than Taylor Swift. Then, a short social hour with a band playing in the background. The night would end with dessert and a couple slow dances. Of course, there were the after parties, but I typically tried not to get involved in them. I had enough to do for the night, with troubleshooting and talking to guests.

I sighed. I had gone over this schedule only about a hundred times, but I still felt the need to review it again. It was just so nerve-wracking to be hosting for the world to see, and considering half the guests were full-blown celebrities, I had no choice but to impress them. Hopefully, they wouldn't find my speech too boring and turn to their phones. And hopefully, they actually liked the food. It would be a major problem if they didn't.

Gods, there were just so many things that could go wrong today.

And what if, Zeus forbid, the assassins managed to take some shots today? Oh gods, that would be terrible. Nobody would ever come to the gala again!

I took a deep breath, in and out. It was all I could do to keep myself from panicking. The security at the gala would be double to triple what there was that day at the office. Hopefully, before the assassins could get in, the officers would kick them out.

I opened my palm, only to find that it was soaked in sweat. No doubt because of my freaking out. I needed to chill.

And there was only one way I could really calm myself down.

I quickly changed into my swim trunks and went down to the pool. Swimming had been my passion for a long time. It helped me get through my extremely ADHD moments, and even served as a sort of therapy for me when I was generally stressed about life. It was there for me during my experiences with Gabe, the pressuring times of high school, and my founding years of Thalassa. Swimming helped me like a pacifier helped a baby. Except in a lot more mature terms. Mostly.

My apartment complex's pool was pretty big, but it was one of those kid-friendly ones with a really shallow end. I had hit my head on the pool's bottom more than a couple times when I was doing my turns. I warned myself not to do that today. If I did, my head would be spinning during hair and makeup.

I jumped into the pool, savoring the coolness of the water against my skin. The liquid rolled off my back as I resurfaced and swam a couple laps. I reveled in the feeling of droplets spilling from my hand as I lifted my arm at the end of a stroke. Ah. Much better.

I stopped at the shallow end and swished my arms from side to side. My heart rate slowed, my skin settled, and my muscles loosened. There was just something about the sound of water and the smell of chlorine that helped me relax so easily. No drug could rival this feeling of pure pleasure.

I swam for a good hour before reporting to my apartment for hair and makeup. I hated it, because it took so much time and really didn't make much of a difference on my face. But I was forced to do it anyway, thanks to Hazel. Zeus forbid I show up on camera with a single hair out of place.

I took a quick shower before the makeup artists came. Hours later, I looked like a black-haired Shawn Mendes, perfect skin and all.

As I stood in front of the door, watching the makeup people pack their stuff up, I grinned happily. It was actually happening! I was actually going to the gala with Annabeth! I would get to dance with her, have fun with her, embarrass myself in front of her, and overall show her an amazing time. I could introduce her to her favorite celebrities, treat her to gourmet dishes, and have her enjoy exclusive performances from incredible singers and dancers. I could almost imagine the twinkle in her eyes as we swept across the ballroom floors, or the upward curve of her lips as she savored the splendid taste of her food. Gods, I couldn't wait to show her what I could do for her. I would finally be able to give her an experience worthy of her magnificence.

Butch insisted on coming with me to the gala, so I let him drive me to Annabeth's. That way, the two of us could sit in the back together. Without doing anything questionable, of course. Hazel would kill me if I messed up either of our hairdos.

When I arrived at Annabeth's apartment, the door was open.

"Annabeth?" I called.

I heard a yelp come from inside the bathroom. Piper ran into the living room and cried, "Do not come in, Perseus Jackson!" Her face was fully made up and she rocked a light pink gown. Jason would faint in her arms for sure.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Don't worry. I won't. When's Jason coming?"

Piper's ears turned pink. "He said he'd be here soon."

At that moment, I felt a figure come up behind me. The familiar scent of citrus cologne filled my nostrils.

I turned around. It was Jason. To be more precise, it was a Jason whose mouth had dropped to the floor, and he probably needed help picking it up.

I slapped Jason's back and laughed, but soon enough, it was my turn to drop my jaw.

She walked out of the bathroom like a fairy prancing on lily pads, occasionally stumbling on her heels. She wore a V-necked, sleeveless, white silk gown with gold embellishments, reminiscent of an Ancient Greek dress. Her heels were a similar color, with gold-colored soles. Her makeup was very understated, except for gold highlights across her face and eyes.

And she looked drop-dead gorgeous. Her skirts rippled around her slim waist as if they were the moon's reflection on water. Her jewelry was like honey, dripping down her arching neck and pooling into a waistband that accentuated her incredible figure. That silky waterfall of honey-blonde hair cascaded down her tan shoulder and shimmered under the light. The silver eyeliner around her eyes made those beautiful grey orbs stand out even more, paralyzing me and rendering me speechless.

I didn't deserve that goddamn gorgeous woman.

"Wow." I croaked.

I could see her natural blush creeping through the makeup. "Wow yourself."

Piper laughed. "Well, we'd better get going. You don't want to be late for your own gala!"

I nodded profusely and escorted Annabeth out the door. The butterflies in my stomach metamorphosed into ginormous leaping kangaroos. There was no way I could stand being next to her for the whole six hours without dragging her into some closet to make out.

Jason and Piper left to their own car, so Annabeth and I sat together in my BMW's back seat, our fingers brushing each other's across the middle. We kept exchanging heated glances throughout our light conversation so often that I felt sorry for Butch. The sexual tension in the air was thicker than butter, and no doubt Butch wanted nothing to do with it.

Ages had passed by the time we finally arrived at the red carpet. Naturally, we were one of the first ones there, so all of the reporters and cameramen were waiting, bored. That is, until they caught sight of my car. Immediately after we pulled in, they all perked up, and the cameras started flashing.

I got out of the car. Ignoring the outburst of voices yelling at the sight of me, I walked around the trunk to open Annabeth's door for her,. The kangaroos in my stomach started slamming against my body in anxiousness as she stepped out and hooked her hand into my arm. The yelling grew louder.

I wrapped my arm tightly around Annabeth. I didn't want the reporters to startle her or make her nervous. I slammed the door shut and asked, "You ready?"

She nodded and placed her hand on my chest. I gulped. "Calm down, Percy. I'll be fine."

I smile broke out on my face. "How did you know?"

She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. My heart started pounding in my chest at the feel of her lips. My skin prickled. "Because I know you. Don't worry about me. I'm not the one who's giving a speech in front of hundreds of people."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for reminding me."

We walked forward together and started posing for the cameras. The camera lights were blinding and seemingly ceaseless. Questions started bombarding us, specifically me, from all directions. Who are you wearing? Who's the girl? Who is she wearing? Are you two dating?

For the most part, I ignored the questions and walked up the steps with Annabeth. However, some of the better ones, I chose to answer. Like what the goal was for this year's gala. And what work went into preparing for the big night.

A reporter snagged me at the end of the carpet and asked me about which designer made my outfit. I gave him my typical answer: that I knew as much about it as Ant-Man knew about spiders. I could almost imagine tomorrow's headlines: _Perseus Jackson Makes Marvel Reference on the Red Carpet._

I took a deep breath as we escaped the confines of the carpet and entered the main hall. Finally. We were free.

I heard Annabeth let out a light squeal as we proceeded forward. "Is that Selena Gomez? And… oh my gods. Don't tell me that's Blake Lively. I love her!"

I chuckled and rested my hand over hers. "I'm going to have to check on how well everything's going, so do you want to stay here and socialize? Or do you want to come with me?"

Annabeth took on a contemplative expression. "I think Piper's coming soon, so I'll join her and let you do your job. Have fun!"

I gave her a weird face. "Fun? Doing work?"

She laughed adorably and waved me off. Smiling to myself, I strolled to the stage, greeting guests on the way there. I opened the curtains to find Hazel talking animatedly to the guy in charge of the lights. Frank stood awkwardly behind her and smiled when he saw me.

"Hey, Percy."

I gave him a quick hug. "Hey."

Hazel heard Frank and turned around to face me. The beads on her dress clinked together as she turned, creating a really cool sound. "Don't worry, Percy. I got this handled. I-"

"What's wrong?"

She frustratedly sighed. "The lights in the back don't rotate far enough, so the people in the back corners will be stuck in the dark."

A light bulb went off in my head. "Do you have any more of those bubbly ocean lamps?"

Hazel's eyes widened. "Oh yes! Thank you, Percy! You're a genius."

I glanced back at Frank, who shrugged. The lights guy looked at me gratefully, as if I had just saved him from getting fired (which, I likely had), and rushed off to finish his work. I quickly dismissed myself as well, and ran off to finish my rounds. After I ensured that everything was going fine and talked with the head event coordinator, I returned to the hall.

And wow. It seemed to be going really well. Celebrities and millionaires milled around the setups, marveling at the various projects we displayed and writing checks to help fund them. Every single guest was dressed in their finest ocean-themed getups and sported a smile on their faces. As a security guard held open the door at the far end of the room, I saw the country's finest stars posing for the cameras, showing off their greatest looks. One person was even wearing a fishbowl on her head. Ten bucks that was Lady Gaga.

I felt giddy inside. My company, my dear, beautiful baby, was getting this much attention. More people would become exposed to the problems that we faced on a day-to-day basis, which would definitely bring in more support. Our oceans would become so much safer and so much cleaner thanks to all this publicity. I wondered what Annabeth thought about the event. Maybe she had some recommendations that would make it even better.

I glanced at the table that I left Annabeth at, but she was nowhere to be seen. I looked around for Annabeth's blonde curls, but the closest I got was Paris Hilton. Stumped, I searched for where Piper was, because Annabeth said she would hang out with her. A couple more minutes of searching yielded me an image of Piper and Jason kissing, sans Annabeth.

I stepped off the stage and walked up to them, wondering if they would know where Annabeth went. Piper greeted me with a sarcastic, "Hey, Percy! Long time no see!"

I laughed. "Hey, have you seen Annabeth?"

Piper flinched, but her lighthearted expression didn't change. "I think she went to the bathroom. She said she didn't feel very good."

Concerned, I nodded. She had seemed okay when I first brought her here. Had someone said something to her? Or was it just that the nerves were getting to her?

I nodded to Piper in thanks and headed to the bathroom area. As a lady walked out the door, I asked her, "Did you see a blonde in a white dress inside, by any chance?"

The lady looked at me weirdly and shook her head. Sighing, I leaned against the wall next to the bathroom and pulled out my phone. I opened my texts and quickly typed to her: "hey, where r u?"

I stared at my phone for a good five minutes, waiting for a reply from her, but to no avail. I glanced at my watch. Six fifteen. I would have go up to give my speech within the next fifteen minutes. Frustrated, I walked back into the main room.

Everyone was already getting seated in preparation for the speech and appetizers. I walked back to my table with Jason and Piper, but Annabeth was nowhere to be seen. Jason glanced at me with a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I just can't find Annabeth. I'm starting to get scared."

Piper assured, "She's probably fine. You know that girl. She's more than capable of handling herself."

I nervously smiled. "Doesn't mean I can't get worried."

That moment, a waiter tapped my shoulder and gestured to the stage. It was time for me to give my speech.

I nodded, and Jason held out his hand. "Good luck, Perce." We did our little handshake, and I followed the waiter backstage.

I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants and stretched a little for my grand entrance. Some of our staff had suggested that I do a humorous entrance, and they gave me this hugely embarrassing idea involving backup dancers, expensive shades, and a weird old song called _Ocean Man_. Unfortunately, the rest of the company had voted for it by a landslide, so I was stuck humiliating myself in front of half of Hollywood. The music had been revamped to make it sound more modern and danceable, but still.

The intro music started. I stepped into the elevator that would bring me onto the stage. Five. Breathe in. Four. Breathe out. Three. Remember the dance. Two. Don't freak out. One. Don't die.

They brought me up on stage, and I started lip syncing while doing the little jig that the dancers had taught me a while back. Immediately, the crowd burst into laughter. I fought to keep the blush from creeping up my neck as I did the scuba-diving move, the shuffle, and everything in between. But by the time my pitiful attempt at twerking came up, I had let my inner sass come through. I was no longer that nervous. The music flooded through my veins as I shimmied to the music. I almost didn't notice the back-up dancers anymore.

The music ended as soon as I stepped up to the mic and threw my shades out into the crowd. I let the audience's applause fade, and then I said, "Well, that was embarrassing." More laughter. I smiled. I guess my coworkers' idea worked.

I continued. "Thank you for coming, everybody. It truly means a lot to me and the company that you're down here tonight. I know that you would much rather rewatch the last season of _Game of Thrones_."

The audience was responding splendidly. Gods, this was a major step up from the formal, tight-lipped occasion it was last year.

The audience was so loud, I almost didn't hear the thump coming from underneath the stage. I looked beneath my feet and waited for a second, wondering if it would happen again. It didn't. Probably just the stage guys dropping something.

Once the audience had silenced, I couldn't wait for the thump anymore. I went on for a couple minutes about the importance of our mission and the various projects we were undertaking, before _Ocean Man_ started playing again and I went back down on the elevator.

Now that my adrenaline rush had faded, my thoughts reverted back to Annabeth. Where was she? Was she okay? I grabbed my phone from the locker I had left it in before going onstage. One notification.

I bit my lip. Was it her? Had she texted me back?

I frantically entered in my passcode and opened my texts. My heart sunk as I read the new message I had gotten.

Annabeth: im so sorry. i just saw this. i decided to go home because i didnt feel well at all. vomited in the bathroom. i wanted to tell you but you were busy working. :(

I was baffled. She had seemed fine when I picked her up. Maybe a little less talkative though, but I had thought that was from the nerves. Perhaps it was really because she was sick.

I texted her back.

Me: it's okay. you missed my ocean man performance :(

Annabeth: piper sent me a video XD

The same waiter from before came up to me. "The appetizers are being served, sir. You probably want to return to your table."

I glanced at his name tag and smiled at him. "Call me Percy, Travis." But then I remembered that the waiter from before had the name Connor. "Do you have a twin?"

He grinned mischievously. "Yeah. I apologize in advance if you find food in his pockets, by the way."

I waved my hand as if to say 'no biggie'. "He can take all he wants."

Travis took me back to the table, where I finished texting Annabeth my "feel better" shpiel. The area briefly erupted into applause at the sight of me. In response, I smiled nervously and sat down in my chair.

The rest of the night went by swimmingly (ha). Dinner was great. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed Taylor Swift's intimate guitar performance, which quickly ascended into some of her more upbeat tracks. People asked me multiple interesting questions about Thalassa's projects that I think I answered pretty well.

But when the dancing started, especially the slow dancing, I found myself missing Annabeth. A lot. I probably would have been stepping on her feet, but it would have been fun to hang out with her a little more. I had been looking forward to seeing her enjoy the experience. It was a shame that she had to feel sick on the day of the best Triton gala yet.

And when the song _Ocean_ played, I almost descended into tears, remembering that night in my car. I expressed my feelings to her through text.

Me: wish u were here. everyone's dancing. feeling a little lonely rn

I attached a video of Jason and Piper slow-dancing with her head on his chest. Five minutes later, Annabeth still hadn't replied. My heart sunk. I turned off my phone.

I just spent the rest of the night watching various couples and occasionally dancing with random heiresses. Piper forced Jason and me to dance with each other at one point, which was likely my most enjoyable dance of the evening. But it's funny how I had the least fun at the most successful Triton gala. Pretty depressing, too.

Roughly half an hour before the gala officially ended, Butch walked up to me with an apologetic look on his face. "Percy, I'm so sorry. My wife just went into labor, so I have to go now. Will you be okay?"

Labor? Meaning there would be a Baby Butch running around soon? I grinned. "Of course. Go get 'em."

Butch thanked me and left, half-running and half-skipping out the door.

As soon as I had bid the last of my guests goodbye and supervised the first half of cleanup, the waiter named Connor approached me. "Boss wants me to tell you you're good to go. He says he has everything handled."

"Are you sure? I can stay if you need me to."

Connor simpered. "Nah. I quote, 'Tell Mr. Jackson that he'd better get his butt out of here.'"

I laughed. "Ok. Thank you!"

Connor gave me a quick thumbs up and walked away. As he rambled through the hall, I caught a glimpse of him grabbing a chunk of breadstick out of his pocket. Huh. Travis was right.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Finally. It was all over. I could sleep in peace for the first time in these last few months.

I hopped into my car and turned on the radio so that I wouldn't fall asleep on the way home. After cruising along for a good fifteen minutes, I looked in the rearview mirror. Hey, wasn't that dark grey Lexus right behind me back on Jefferson Drive?

I took a quick glance at the driver's face. Much of it was obscured by the darkness of the night, but I detected the glint of sunglasses through the front window. Who wore sunglasses at night?

Somebody who wanted to hide his face.

A feeling of dread crawled up my spine. Did that person just happen to live in the same apartment complex as me? Or was there something more sketchy going on?

I didn't think it was the paparazzi. Normally, the paps don't come in the form of one man driving in a small Lexus.

I decided to take a couple detours, just in case. I took a couple lefts, made a U-turn, and made those rights to come back to where I started off. The dark grey car was still behind me. I even went around a shopping complex, making sure to enter every possibly nook and cranny of the area. The car was on my tail every step of the way.

There was no way that person was just an unsuspecting driver. He was following me. For sure.

Thankfully, I knew these roads like I knew my own apartment. I decided to take my favorite detour - one which I often took when the paparazzi were after me. If there was one way I could lose somebody, it was by taking that detour.

Five minutes in, and the other car was gone. I did a little victory jig in my seat, before abruptly realizing the car was shaking as well. Then, I drove home as quickly as I could, ignoring the foreboding prickles that I felt on my skin. Once I was in the confines of my home, I would be safe.

As soon as I found myself stopped in the parking lot behind my apartment complex, I took a deep breath. Finally. That creepy stalker couldn't reach me here.

I slammed my car door shut and locked it with my keys. The 'chirp chirp' sound of the car locking filled the quiet night.

I shoved my keys into my pocket. Gods, it was cold. I should have brought a jacket. I still had my old high school varsity swim jacket. I contemplated wearing that again, just for the heck of it.

The sound of my loafers clicking along the sidewalk was the only noise I could here. And though I didn't expect anything more, it still creeped me out. Silence isn't always the best thing to hear when you've been followed and there's the threat of you dying.

I ducked under the large lilac bush that branched over the walkway. Then I stopped. I didn't even touch the bush. Why were there shuffling noises coming out of it?

I whirled around, but my sight was smothered by the splendid view of a dark-colored shirt. I gasped as I was thrown to the ground.

I blinked a couple times to clear my vision. There was a man sitting on top of me. The same man who was following me earlier, except without the sunglasses. His hand tightly grasped my collar. And his fist seemed to be moving toward me.

BAM. A searing pain expanded through my jaw as his fist connected with my face. My mouth filled with the pungent taste of blood.

The man pulled back his arm for another strike. I knew I had to do something quickly, but the man had my body glued to the sidewalk. Desperately, I kneed him in the back.

It didn't hurt him, but it caught him by surprise. He turned around, confused, and I threw him off of me. Within seconds, I was on my feet, in a fighting stance.

He ran towards me as if I were holding up a blood red flag and he were a raging bull. It was almost as if he were a Minotaur. I quickly sidestepped his blow and kicked him in the stomach. He groaned, but his belly was harder than a wall. I doubted it did anything except make him more angry.

Indeed. He roared with all his might and slammed me against the sidewalk again. I punched him in the nose and threw both my knees into his gut. He flew backwards and fell against the lilac bush. When he got up again, there was a man-shaped impression in the leaves.

I almost laughed, but he looked too furious for me to do anything but yelp in fear. He punched. I ducked. He tackled. I dodged. He landed a punch to my stomach, and the cycle repeated. But with every blow and every feint, my breath escaped me. Within seconds, I was wheezing in pain.

And I was in trouble. I could tell he was done with my shit and wanted to end me once and for all. He charged, but with a right uppercut, a hook, and a kick to the crotch, he was gone. He collapsed, a trail of blood leaking from the side of his mouth.

I slumped to the ground. My entire body was sore as heck. I was likely going to be covered with bruises by tomorrow morning. The taste of iron still permeated my mouth. My breaths were ragged as I gasped and coughed, scrounging for more air.

The sirens came and went. The police took me to their office, handed me an ice pack, questioned me, and brought me back home. Their detective praised me for having the balls to fight back. She promised me they would look into my attacker and find out what was going on. My parents even came in and checked on me. But all I could think about for those two hours was how I had knocked a man unconscious. Even if it was in self-defense, I had harmed a human being and had come out relatively unscathed. I was no longer the victim. I was the bully.

Oh, if Gabe could see me now.

I leaned against the sink and examined my reflection in the mirror. A bruise on my jaw and a split lip. A couple cuts on the inside of my mouth from when my teeth contacted my inner cheek. Countless more red and purple spots along my arms and torso. A scrape on my knee.

I should have been more careful. Two times now, I had ignored the fact that I had been threatened, and I stupidly decided to stare death in the face. Both times, somebody had been harmed because of me. Both times, I could have prevented what was to happen.

If only I had stayed home and kept myself apart from everybody else.

I resolved to do so for the rest of the week. I would work from home. There wasn't that much going on anyway, because the gala was over.

Oh. My. Gods. The gala. If that man had attacked me during the gala, or if somebody had tried to kill me during that time, hundreds of innocents would have been in danger. Hundreds. Because of my mindless actions.

My ringtone echoed through the eerie silence of my apartment. Frantically, I stumbled out of my bathroom and grabbed my phone from its charger.

Annabeth.

I rapidly picked up the call. "Hello?"

She sounded worried. "Percy? Are you okay?"

"I… yeah. I'm fine. Some dude assaulted me earlier. But I'm okay."

"Are you hurt?"

"Ummm..."

"Percy -"

"No, I'm serious, Wise Girl. I'm fine. You should see the other guy."

Annabeth seemed at loss for words. So I cut in.

"Are you feeling okay? Did you vomit again, or something?"

She seemed caught by surprise. She stammered, "I, yeah. I'm fine. I guess it was just a one-time thing. Hey, can I talk to you tomorrow? In person?"

I knitted my eyebrows. "Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?"

She paused for a second. "Maybe outside that bar where we first met?"

The bar where we first met, huh? Was she going to make some grand romantic gesture? Wasn't that my job?

"Sure. What time?"

"Maybe around eight at night. Is that okay?"

I confirmed it was. Then she ordered, "It's time for you to go to sleep. Rest well. Stay safe. I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."

For once, I listened.

* * *

 **A/N: Just a random comment, I'm not an avid Swiftie or anything, but in my opinion, Taylor Swift is a really amazing songwriter. She seemed like the most famous and longest-lived artist who would make sense as a performer for a gala like this, so I just casually included her.**

 **Also, key events that the next chapter will play on: the thump in the floor and Annabeth's mysterious absence (Spoiler alert: she's not sick) :)**

 **Thank you for reading! Any reviews would be much appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi guys! We're officially at the halfway mark of this story. :D Based on what I have planned, there will be 23-24 chapters, depending if you guys want an epilogue or a sequel. I'll ask you about it when we reach that point.**

 **I also just noticed that this is the longest chapter in the story so far. Idk if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess it makes sense...**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all of these characters, unfortunately. :(**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

For the first time in, forever, actually, I found myself wanting to get 'girled up'. Piper and I had gone dress shopping a week or two ago, and we had found the perfect dresses for us both. And as much as I don't want to admit it, I took my dress off of its hanger and twirled around in it on multiple occasions.

Piper had come over a couple hours before Percy was due to pick me up, so we could both get ready together. As much as I hated wearing makeup, I couldn't help but feel giddy as we discussed what colors would look better on who.

But I had to keep reminding myself that I was going strictly for business purposes. I wouldn't be able to enjoy dinner there. I wouldn't be able to see Taylor Swift's performance. Most likely, I wouldn't be able to dance with Percy, either. Because Reyna was going to be there, and not as a guest. If I didn't stop her, then Percy would die. And I didn't know what I would do with myself if he did.

Which was why I wore combat leggings and a low-necked tank top under my dress, in case I needed to ditch it to chase after Reyna.

There was a scanner that we were supposed to go through before we entered the gala hall, to prevent any weapons or other questionable materials from coming in. So, I had snuck in a couple days ago and stored weapons in random hiding places, in case combat was necessary. I wouldn't be carrying anything on me, which I knew was dangerous, but I didn't really have a choice. As soon as I lost Percy, though, I could get my hands on the closest weapon.

Leo, Piper, and I had been planning this for a while. Leo would monitor the video cameras to find out where Reyna was. He would tell me what he knew over comms, and I would go after her. Piper would cover for me when I went missing.

I was more than prepared. We had made backup plans for the backup plans of our backup plans. We had gone over every possible outcome and determined how we would deal with it. I had gone to the gym every other day and trained to make sure my strength and skills were at their peaks, even when I was in my wheelchair or cast (my leg had fully healed a week ago). I was prepared in almost every way.

Except mentally. Every time I thought about what I was going to do, my stomach lurched. I wasn't a stranger to fighting, or even killing someone. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that I had a lot more than usual at stake. I couldn't risk anyone seeing me. I couldn't risk anyone getting hurt. Most of all, I couldn't risk Percy dying.

And I knew for a fact that his death would bring me down worse than my mother's did, or even Fan Zhi's did. Because if he died, his death would be on me.

As Piper applied the finishing touches of my makeup, she grinned. "There we go. You're going to knock his pants off."

I gave her a weird look. She replied, "Yes, I mean exactly what I said."

I fought my blush and I scoffed. "We both know that's not going to happen."

She shrugged. "Maybe not. But it'll be close." Piper grabbed another brush and started attacking my face with it. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.

Piper had taken after her mom in terms of everything makeup and looking good. Whatever she wore, she always looked so effortlessly beautiful. Today, she looked absolutely stunning. Her choppy brown hair was pulled back into an elaborate bun, with a couple loose strands curled to frame her face. She wore a simple pink halter dress with lighter ribbons around her waist to accentuate her figure. Ruby jewelry embellished her look, and her makeup was done with a lot of pink shades. Her kaleidoscope eyes reflected the color of her dress as they sparkled in amusement.

Piper stepped back and gave me her nod of approval. I glanced past her and into the mirror. Wow. I looked… good. For once. Piper really was magical.

Percy's voice permeated through the apartment. My breath caught in anticipation. He was here already?

Piper yelped and ran out of my bathroom. I heard a loud, dramatic, "Do _not_ come in, Perseus Jackson!"

I gulped. If he came in and saw me in my combat outfit…

I was already lying to him about everything I was. If he found out what I was doing today, it might nearly kill me.

I dropped my dress so that it covered my combat leggings and stood up. The dress fit perfectly over my clothes. Not a hint of black showed from any angle. I sighed in relief.

I glanced out the bathroom door. Piper had engaged in some banter with Percy and the newly-arrived Jason, who was breathless at the sight of her. I chuckled. They were a really cute couple. I hoped to the gods that they would last. **(A/N: I'm crying rn)**

I took a deep breath. Once I stepped out of this bathroom, there was no turning back. I would have to convince Reyna to back off of Percy, and if she refused to, I would kill her. And I would go through this mission with the risk of exposing my true self to hundreds of famous people. If something went wrong, there was nothing keeping me from spending a lifetime in jail.

 _Good,_ a part of me murmured. I would finally get the punishment I deserved. In fact, I deserved more than jail. It was only right that I received death in retribution for the lives I had taken. A horrible, painful death.

I shook myself out of my thoughts. I could think about death later. Right now, there was a beautiful soul who needed saving. And I would stop at nothing to keep him alive.

I slipped on my heels and walked out of the restroom, stumbling a little bit. I could feel his green-eyed gaze on me, ingesting every detail of my getup. I blushed disconcertedly. How could he make me feel so raw, so exposed, and yet so beautiful with a single glance? Slowly, I mustered up the courage to look up at him.

I thought that I had gotten used to his formalwear. He had to wear it to work every day, anyway. But holy, freaking, Zeus' underpants.

His unruly black hair was gelled into a sideways quiff that made him look smart. Handsome. His skin tone was evened out by makeup and those alluring green eyes shone brighter than usual. He wore a white dress shirt under a low-necked black vest accentuated with deep blue streaks. Over that, he wore a black tuxedo with with deep blue lapels and even darker seams. He had a blue satin rose in his pocket, and his look was completed with a black and blue bow tie. His pants were just pants, but wow. They fit so well. It all fit so well. His outfit showed off every enviable curve of his body, from the clinch of his waist to the thickness of his thighs to the bulge of his-

I squeezed my eyes shut. I ignored the excitement rising in my lower belly. As much as I wanted to tackle him to the ground and kiss him senseless, I had to focus on my mission. I had to save this precious son of a god.

I recall making some subtle comments about how good he looked and feeling the overwhelming desire to do bad things to him during the car ride there. But my subconscious kept nagging me, reminding me of the impending danger. I genuinely hoped there would be no killing involved today.

When Percy opened the car door for me, I was reminded of all the things that could possibly go wrong. And I knew I had already punished myself with those thoughts a million times. But my apprehension was beyond my control. The only way I could possibly quell those thoughts was to make sure everything went right.

The flashes of the camera blinded me as Percy posed for them with an arm around my waist. I took a break from smiling for the cameras to look at him. To the outsider's eye, he looked at ease. As if he were in his natural state. But I had gotten to know him very well these last couple of months. I could see the flicker of nervousness in his eyes. The lack of that crinkle next to his left eye was a telltale that his smile wasn't sincere. His features looked stiff and uncomfortable.

Impulsively, I kissed his cheek. The paparazzi went wild when they saw that. Their volume was amplified by at least 30 decibels. But I didn't care. I was too busy melting under Percy's delightfully surprised gaze.

We stood on that red carpet for what seemed like eternity. But once we entered the hall, I stopped in my tracks and gasped.

The hall was absolutely beautiful. Ocean-themed lights lit up the building in beautiful colors as people milled around the stands in groups. Garlands of flowers graced the walls and enhanced the smell of the room. They were also placed in vases at each table covered with a shiny blue tablecloth. The building itself was absolutely stunning, with its vaulted ceilings and sophisticated embellishments. I immediately started imagining what changes I would make when I drew it later tonight in my sketchbook. That is, if Reyna didn't kill me first.

As we walked deeper into the building, I started paying more attention to the people present. And honestly, wow. I knew celebrities would be attending, but I guess I just didn't have my mind fully wrapped around it. Seeing all of those people in real life stunned me to silence. Here they were. Moving right in front of me. Talking amongst each other like they were real people. Wow. I was seeing something that 99% of the world would never get to see.

Inadvertently, I let out a squeal, which drew a chortle from Percy. He kissed my forehead and asked me if he could leave to check on things. I pretended that it was okay, that I didn't mind him leaving, but in truth, I wanted him to stay with me. I wanted his arms around me for the rest of the night. Because the moment he left, he would be out there, exposed, unprotected, and an easy target for Reyna.

The moment he left, I turned my comms on and whispered, "Leo. Talk to me."

His voice crackled through my earpiece. "Security guys are unconscious, so she hasn't bothered to turn off the cams. You're right. She really is sloppy."

"Ok, but where is she?"

"Second floor, behind the balcony on the right, closest to the stage. I'm thinking she's going to shoot through the split of the curtain."

I glanced toward the area he had mentioned. Sure enough, the curtain behind that balcony was slightly shifting around.

"Gotcha. You're watching me, right?"

"Indeed, señorita. It's go time."

I saw Piper come through the entrance with Jason attached to her. I nodded at her, and she nodded back. It really was go time.

I took the service elevator up a floor and jogged towards the balcony, lifting up my skirts so I wouldn't trip. On the way, I grabbed a knife I had hidden within a curtain. But when I reached, she wasn't there. Her stuff was, but Reyna wasn't there.

"Leo," I called. "Where did she go?"

I heard an "uhhhhh" resonating from within my earpiece. But wait. Footsteps. Was it Reyna, or was it someone else?

I slipped off my dress and dropped it over the assortment of guns laying on the ground. I took a smaller one from the pile and held it behind my back. Then, I tucked my knife into my waistband and waited behind a pillar.

Reyna's voice pervaded through the hall. "What the…"

I took a deep breath and slunk out of my hiding place. As soon as Reyna saw me, her eyes narrowed. "Annabeth."

I nodded. "Reyna."

She murmured in a forceful tone, "What are you doing here?"

I crossed my arms and leaned against the pillar. "You know what I'm here for."

She mirrored my stance. "And you know that I can't stop."

I shook my head. "Yes you can, Reyna. I used to _be_ you. I used to think that there wasn't any other way."

She snorted. "Then what happened?"

"I met Percy. I thought he was a rich snob at first. Somebody who deserved to be killed as much as I did. But then I met him."

I peered through the curtain to look for Percy. I found him looking out the scene from behind the stage. I shuddered. Was he looking for me?

I forced myself to relax. If he was, Piper would take care of that. I turned my attention back to Reyna, who seemed to be getting angry. Her grip tightened around her gun. "Annabeth, stop falling for that man's charms. Thorn hired us for a reason. Men like that are brought up with a golden spoon in their mouths. They don't know what suffering is. It's time they learn."

I scoffed. "Have you even considered the fact that Thorn might be wrong?"

"So what? There's a reason Thorn wanted to kill Percy. Thorn wouldn't be targeting him if he was innocent."

"He _is_ innocent! Thorn wants to kill him because he wants Percy's land! Land that is meant to protect acres of sea life!"

Her eyes flashed. "That's not the whole story. Thorn may be messed up, but so is Percy. Just look at that pretty-boy smile! He's rich and stuck-up and you know it!"

I growled, "Reyna, there's a lot you don't know about him. Don't judge a man by his appearance."

"Their appearances say enough about them. He's rich, but instead of using it to help people like us, he uses it on dumb parties like these."

"Do you even know what this 'dumb party' is for?"

"I know enough to know that it won't help us."

"Why are you so damn selfish?"

"I'm trying to survive, Annabeth!" she cried. Tears welled up in her eyes. "My whole, entire life, everything I've done, has been to survive. To keep up with this cruel world instead of falling victim to it. And at this point, I don't care _how_ I survive or even why. I just want to live!"

My heart plummeted to the floor. She was so similar to me. The old me. I whispered, "Do you want to know what Percy taught me? That the world is so much bigger than just us."

She stared at me angrily, rivers streaming down her cheeks, but I ignored her and continued. "Percy's dad left him as a baby. His mom took care of him all alone, until she married this douchebag to give him a father figure. That man abused him for years, until his mom found out and divorced him. And they were anything _but_ well off. His mom worked at a candy store. And Percy, oh gods, he struggled so much. He was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. He could barely read, write, or focus. He was bullied in class for it. He was kicked out of countless schools. Even his teachers hated him."

I stepped closer to Reyna, who looked mildly alarmed. "He pulled himself up from nothing. He pushed through so many obstacles to become the man he is today. If anybody in this world understands hard work and dedication, it's him. If anybody understands struggle, or suffering, it's Percy. And yet he does all of this, not for his own benefit, but for his world's. So don't you _dare_ accuse him of wiping his ass on gold toilet paper, because if anybody's doing that it's you."

Before I knew it, tears were spilling of out my eyes as well. My face was inches from Reyna's. My finger was pointed at her face.

Her lip quivered.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped away. "I don't care what you want or what you're going to do. But I will do anything to protect that man. You'll have to kill me a hundred times before you can touch a single hair on his head."

Fury coursed through my veins and clogged up my throat. I drew my knife. If she attacked me, only one of us would come out alive. That much I knew.

But she surprised me. She snatched something out of her ear and stomped on it until it was in pieces. She took a good look at the earpiece she had just destroyed. Then, she crumpled to the ground. She started sobbing. Her guns were strewn across the ground, long forgotten.

I sunk to my knees and lifted her chin up. She took my hand in her own and tried to calm herself down. Within a minute, her cries had been reduced to sniffles. "I was born in Puerto Rico. I don't know who my mother was, but my father took care of us. Me and my sister. One year, he left to war. When he came back, he wasn't the same. He was paranoid. He went mad. For years, he locked us in the house. Left us to fend for ourselves."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me as she cried. "One day was worse than the rest. He yelled at us. Pulled at our hair. He threw a chair at my sister, and I…I killed him. I stabbed him with a kitchen knife."

I let her cry. Her tears soaked into my tank top. But I didn't care. My heart reached out for her as she shared her story. It took courage to do so. Courage that wouldn't have had. "My sister got mad at me. She yelled at me about how stupid I was. Then, she left. She left me all alone, with nobody to care for me. Nobody to help me through what I had done. I was forced to leave Puerto Rico to escape the crime I had committed. I got a fake passport and a fake ID and moved to San Francisco. I've been alone since. I've had a couple friends now and then, but-" Her dark eyes glanced into mine, and she gulped. "Nobody I could trust."

She abruptly shoved herself away from me and wiped furiously at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

I grasped her hands. "No. Reyna. Don't be afraid of telling the truth. You can trust _me_. If anyone can understand your situation, it's me."

She retracted her hands and proceeded to wipe away all her tears. She sniffled. "Does Percy know?"

My eyes darkened. I looked down, ashamed. "Not yet. I'm planning on telling him tomorrow."

Reyna looked at me in alarm. "He'll hate you for not telling him earlier!"

I nodded. That was something I still had to come to terms with. "I would much rather he be safe and hate me than he being at risk and loving me."

Reyna fidgeted. "I'm not so sure he's safe."

I started. "What?"

She elaborated, "I overheard Thorn talking to some boss of his. He kept calling the guy Atlas. I don't think Thorn is the person who wants to kill Percy, and even if he does, he's not the guy in charge of it all."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "So we still have more to do if we want to keep Percy safe."

Reyna nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy. We sat in silence for a second, before jumping in surprise when the song "Ocean Man" came on. I smiled. Percy was coming on.

I beckoned Reyna to the curtain, and we both peeked through to see Percy rising up in the elevator. He struck a pose, and the dancing started.

Reyna grinned at me. "That's some man you got there."

I winked at her. "I know."

A couple seconds later, Reyna yelled, "Shit!"

I closed the curtain quickly. Thankfully, she hadn't said it loud enough for her to be heard.

I turned to her. "What happened?"

Reyna hurriedly started packing her bag. "I completely forgot. In that conversation I overheard, Thorn was talking about how you withdrew. And he said if you did, I might too. So they decided they would have some sort of safety net. Bombs."

My eyes widened. Shit indeed. "Do you know where they are? Or how many? Or how to disable them?"

Reyna shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

I held a hand up. "Don't apologize yet. You're helping me with this. You were supposed to shoot Percy when he was onstage, right?"

Reyna nodded. Then, her eyes widened. "So the bombs would be…"

We both turned to the direction of the stage.

I cried, "We have to go underneath!"

We both raced towards the elevator and rushed under the stage as fast as we could. If any stage hands saw us, they didn't seem to care.

Leo started talking in my ear again. "Wow. So now we have to disable a bomb. If only I was there."

I talked into my earpiece. "How quickly can you get here?"

Leo replied, "Not soon enough. Percy's probably going to be onstage for another ten minutes. It'll take me roughly twenty to get there. So the bomb's going to blow before that. It's better if I stay here and help you through it with comms."

Reyna and I were directly under the stage now. We both frantically looked in every nook and cranny of the area to see where the bombs could be. No such luck. I groaned in frustration and looked to the ceiling.

And I saw a clock. Wait, no. Not a clock. A timer. At seven minutes.

I yelped. "Reyna! I found it!"

Reyna followed my gaze and snapped her fingers. "I'll get the ladder."

Just to verify there weren't any other threats, I scanned the rest of the ceiling. As far as I could see, there was only one bomb, splat in the center of the stage. A dumb move on Thorn's part, if you asked me. But a move I was eternally thankful for.

Reyna slammed the ladder on the ground as I snapped a quick picture of the bomb and sent it to Leo. "Talk to me."

Leo cursed. "I haven't seen this type of bomb in a while. It'll take me some time."

I relayed this information to Reyna, who commented, "We don't _have_ time!"

My heart was pounding faster. What if we didn't make it? What if Percy was killed by the bomb? What if Atlas and Thorn won the game?

Reyna urgently whispered, "Annabeth. Annabeth. Help me." She pulled a screwdriver out of a tool kit lying off to the side and climbed up the ladder."

"What are you doing?"

"Taking the bomb off of the ceiling. If we can't disable it, at least we can get it away from him."

I rummaged through the tool box to find another screwdriver. No such luck. I pulled over a waiter with blue eyes and curly brown hair and asked him for one. As he raced away to retrieve it, I glanced back at Reyna.

Her eyes were filled with anger and determination as she spun the screwdriver vigorously. Clink. The one she had been working on fell out. Two down, six more to go.

The waiter came back with a screwdriver, and I thanked him. He told me his name was Connor and asked me mine. I think he was trying to flirt with me. I gave him the first name that slipped off of my tongue and promptly ran away to help Reyna.

I climbed up on the opposite side of the ladder and set to work. The timer read 5:15. Clink. Clink. Four down, four to go.

Leo updated me on his status. "I think I have a way to disable it, but there's a fifty-fifty chance it may explode."

I shook my head. "I'm not taking that risk, Leo."

Clink. Leo asked, "How much time do you have left?"

"A little under 5 minutes."

Leo slammed his hand on the desk. "Disabling it will likely take you a minute, so if you take it far enough away within the next 3, maybe you can do it?"

"So it can explode in our faces?"

"Ack. You're right. I guess I'm the only fireproof one." I made a face.

Clink. Clink. I took the last one, since Reyna had already done four. The "Ocean Man" music stopped and the sound of Percy's voice resonated through the building. I couldn't comprehend what he was saying, but it made me smile nonetheless.

I heard the sound of keyboard keys clacking through my comms. "I can look up another way, but I would recommend you guys transport the bomb as far as possible."

Clink. I updated Reyna on what Leo said, and she grimly nodded. Suddenly, the bomb fell with a resounding thud onto the platform of our ladder. We simultaneously screamed. Reyna reached for the bomb and hugged it to her chest so that it wouldn't slip again. My heart rate was likely speeding faster than a bullet train.

I stepped down from the ladder and helped her down. "Okay, so I need you to keep an eye on Percy and make sure nothing else bad happens. I'll drive this down to an isolated place and disable it."

Reyna shook her head vigorously. "Give me the earpiece. I'll disable it. You've already gotten hurt because of me. Don't let it happen again. Besides, you have a boyfriend. A home. A life. You said it yourself, you're taking the SAT in a month. You have a lot more to lose than I do."

"But- "

Reyna clamped a hand over my mouth. "Shut up. You're wasting time. I'm going, whether you like it or not."

I glanced at the clock. Four minutes exact. I looked back up at Reyna. Her eyes were filled with an emotion I didn't think was possible for her to feel. Hope.

But a nagging part of my brain kept asking me, _could I trust her?_ My people-reading abilities told me that she wanted redemption for her past. But this was only my third time meeting her. Could my judgement of her be wrong?

As if she was reading my mind, Reyna placed her hand on my shoulder. "You can trust me."

I took a deep breath and handed her my earpiece. "You're better than you think you are."

She took it and smiled sadly at me. "I hope to be."

Then, she left. I watched her run up the stairs and out of the maintenance door with a proud smile on my face. I could finally say that I had made a difference in someone's life. For the better.

Now, hopefully, I didn't get her killed.

Connor the waiter peeked his head out from behind a pillar. "May I ask what was going on?"

"None of your beeswax." I snapped.

Suddenly, a man in a leopard-print suit appeared behind him. His face looked red and puffy, and a wine stain covered the neck area of his shirt. His name tag read _Dionysus, Stage Manager._ "May _I_ ask what was going on?" He crossed his arms at me and started tapping his foot.

"I, uh…" I stammered. "I'm the repair girl. I was told that the AC was causing problems?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Um… Annabeth." Connor's eyebrows shot up his forehead. Dammit. I had given him a false name, didn't I?

The stage manager yawned. "Well, Annie Bell, whoever told you that was wrong. Now get out of here. Peter Johnson will be coming down any minute now."

I panicked. Percy thought I was sick. If he saw me here in combat clothes and with a knife tucked in my pants, he would lose it. I saluted to Dionysus and ran out of the area, pretending to head towards the exit. However, I made a quick maneuver and ran up the steps to Reyna's balcony.

I rapidly scanned the area. None of the celebrities showed any sign of uncomfortableness or panic. Instead, they were chuckling and talking animatedly amongst themselves. There was no sign of Percy onstage. Good. I got out in time.

After stuffing my discarded dress into an alcove, I checked my phone. Percy had texted me asking where I was, so sent him a quick blurb in reply and looked out the window. It was a beautiful night. The moon was nearly full and shone brightly in the deep blue sky. Not a star was in sight, likely due to light pollution.

I heard a sudden rumble. Was it an earthquake? No. We didn't get earthquakes here. My eyes were immediately drawn to a mushroom cloud of smoke billowing from a building roughly half a mile from where I was.

Was that… Reyna?

Panicked, I sped back down the stairs and almost crashed into Percy. He was occupied in a conversation with a taller version of Connor who looked slightly different. His back was facing me.

Quietly, I slunk away before either of them could see me and busted out the door. I frantically drove through the streets until I hit a bout of traffic. Without giving a care, I crookedly parked on the side of the street and followed the wisps of smoke in the sky.

It was an empty construction site which she had collapsed in. Realizing she had no time, she had flung the bomb into the building's underdeveloped framework and attempted to run away. She hadn't gotten far enough.

Thankfully, she had gotten farther than I had been when that bomb hit the Thalassa building. I pushed through the crowd of people gathered around her and knelt beside her. Her face was gaunt and her nose was bleeding. Cuts and bruises littered her arms and her gloves were torn. But otherwise, she seemed okay.

I gasped in relief. "Reyna, you're so stupid."

She smiled through the ash piled on her face. "I know."

"Are you okay?"

She thought for a second. "I'm bleeding, and I can't get up. Probably a broken arm. Maybe a broken rib. I'll be fine though."

Sirens screeched through the night as an ambulance pulled to the side of the rode. A group of paramedics shoved through the crowd and picked Reyna up to put on a gurney. One paramedic asked me, "Ma'am, are you of any relation to the injured?"

"A friend," I croaked.

He nodded. "Then we would appreciate if you can drive to the hospital on your own."

I verbally agreed and hopped into my car. We reached the hospital. When I stepped in, bad memories flooded over me. I had come here countless times to get checkups on my wounds from the Thalassa shooting, and every time, I felt more weak. More dependent. And that feeling was a gods-awful one.

And now, I had commited Reyna to the same feeling. By involving her in this mess, I had caused her so much injury.

Could I really start over if I couldn't stop hurting everyone around me?

I raced alongside the paramedics as they brought her to her room. Until they closed the door in my face. Impatiently, I plopped into a chair and opened my texts. At the top of my notifications was Piper.

I opened up her text. Attached was a video of Percy dancing to "Ocean Man". I smiled and put in my earbuds. I felt bad about watching a video while Reyna was in a room, struggling to bear the pain, but there was no way in hell I would miss this.

After three minutes of me laughing uncontrollably while nurses and patients stared alike, I went to the rest of my notifications.

They were all from Percy. They included a whole bunch of 'I miss you's and even a video of Piper and Jason dancing together. I swooned. Percy was such a sap. But it's not like I was complaining. I felt bad, though. I couldn't give Percy that dance he'd wanted. Nor could I give him the attention he so wholly deserved. Guilt and shame overtook me as I scolded myself for being such a terrible girlfriend.

He deserved someone who was so much more than me. It was almost as if he was accepting five dollars in exchange for a 200 dollar necklace. No, not a 200 dollar one. A priceless one. He was worth more than the world, and didn't even know it. I found myself wondering how I could have possibly tricked such an amazing guy into falling for someone like me.

I briefly texted Leo letting him know that Reyna was okay and would recover soon. He texted me back a thumbs up. Sighing, I put away my phone.

I hadn't even realized I had taken a nap until my phone buzzed in my pocket. Fumbling, I reached for it and swiped to accept the call. I groggily murmured, "Hello?"

Thorn's high-pitched voice squealed through the phone. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the traitor."

I sighed. "Thorn, you called me. Not the other way around."

He huffed. "Either way, if you two won't finish the job, we will. We've already found another way. In fact, it's hiding in the bushes right now! The next time you see your boyfriend is going to be when he's dead."

He hung up the phone. I shivered. Had Thorn sent _another_ assassin after him? Or worse? Had he hijacked Percy's apartment?

I called Percy. It went to voicemail. My breaths shortened as my anxiousness grew. Was he okay? Would he be fine?

I waited for another 5 minutes before dialing again. No answer. I groaned. What was going on? Would he ever reach me? Had all of my efforts, had Reyna's injuries, had it all been in vain?

The doctor stepped out of Reyna's room and addressed me. "Ma'am, she's okay to visit now."

I nodded and stepped inside. My breaths were still shallow, but they softened slightly when I saw Reyna lying in her bed. The color was back in her cheeks. The ash and blood were gone from her body.

"Hey." she muttered.

"Hey, yourself." I replied. I forced all the fear from my voice. She didn't need to have any additional stress on her plate right now. It was better she didn't find out about Thorn's threat. "Are you alright?"

She mirthlessly chuckled. "As fine as I can be, I guess. I'm sorry I can't help you take down Atlas. At least for a month or two."

I shushed her. "That's the thing you should be least worried about. Rest. I'll take care of this. And I won't be alone. I've got Leo."

Reyna readjusted herself in her bed. "Still."

I smiled, "Relax. You'll be able to prove yourself later. To build a life. Maybe even a family. Just be patient."

She looked skeptically at me, but nodded slightly. "Is Percy okay?"

I gulped. What should I say? "He was when I left."

That seemed to be enough for Reyna. She nodded. We talked for a couple more minutes before a nurse requested that I leave so she could rest. I obliged and left the hospital.

I called Percy another time before I reached my home, but to no avail. Something was terribly wrong.

I rapidly showered and changed into my PJs: Percy's old, faded beach t-shirt and my most comfortable short shorts. I slid into my bed and let out a pleasured groan. The blanket felt like silk against my rough, bruised skin. My body was aching and tired from all of the running I had done. My eyes were crying for some sleep. But I couldn't. Not when Percy wouldn't return my calls.

I decided to try one more time. I vowed that if he didn't pick up this one, I would run to his apartment and check on him myself.

On the third ring, he picked up. "Hello?"

I sighed in relief. He was okay. He was safe. "Percy? Are you okay?"

His voice sounded hoarse. He seemed almost, depressed. Shameful. "I… yeah. I'm fine. Some dude assaulted me earlier. But I'm okay."

Assaulted him? So Thorn sent a mercenary after him? "Are you hurt?"

"Ummm..." So yes. He was hurt.

"Percy -"

"No, I'm serious, Wise Girl. I'm fine. You should see the other guy." Oh my gods. He had fought his way through. He was fine.

The nickname, Wise Girl. As much as I hated to admit it, I adored that nickname. Not because I loved being called wise. But because I loved the one person in the world was allowed to say it.

But now that he was hurt, partly because of me, it sent a pang of guilt through my heart. I didn't deserve to be his Wise Girl. And I had to tell him that.

Percy's concern was apparent through the phone's speaker. "Are you feeling okay? Did you vomit again or something?"

My resolve solidified. Here I was, lying to him about everything I possibly could, and yet he trusted in me completely. He deserved to know the truth. "I, yeah. I'm fine. I guess it was just a one-time thing. Hey, can I talk to you tomorrow? In person?"

He hesitated. "Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?"

"Maybe outside that bar where we first met?" Yeah, Annabeth. Go ahead. Crush his feelings at the place you first created them.

"Sure. What time?" He sounded almost enthusiastic. Oh, that innocent, beautiful boy. He didn't suspect a single thing was wrong.

"Maybe around eight. Is that okay?"

He confirmed it was, and I hung up, trying to get him to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for him. It would be the day when I broke his enormous, loving heart.

* * *

 **So, I have a slight concern about this chapter. I feel like some of the events that occur may be anticlimactic, but I didn't know how else to do it while still focusing on the bigger threat in the story. Hopefully, it's not that bad. If it is, feel free to let me know how I could have improved it.**

 **Also, if you could check out the little blurb/preview of another story I'm planning on writing, Wordlessly, that would be great! I would really appreciate feedback on whether you think you'll enjoy the story or not, as well as pointers on what direction to take it in.**

 **Thank you for all of your kind words and reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I can't believe today's Percy's birthday. He's had such an impact on me, from when I was a young girl to now, and he's more than just a book character to me. He's alive and real in my heart, and I'm sure he is in yours too. Happy birthday, Percy!**

 **In honor of his birthday, here's a little present. ;)**

 **Disclaimer: The only thing I own in here is this story. Rick Riordan is the man behind our beautiful Percy.**

* * *

 **Percy**

I had to admit, I was excited.

It may have been irrational. Annabeth had sounded worried, almost sullen, when she had asked me to meet her at the bar. But I didn't care. My lady had called for me, so I would come for her. And after being deprived of her for the entire evening yesterday, I wanted to see her again. Really badly.

I wondered why she had asked me to meet her. Was it just for a simple date? Did she want to talk to me about something going on in her life? Would today be the day she told me those three little words, even though it had only been two months?

My heart flipped in trepidation when I considered another reason. Would she break up with me?

Our relationship seemed to be going great. I had noticed nothing less than happiness in her expression whenever we spent time together. So what reason did she have to break up with me? Besides, even if she was going to, she wouldn't break up with me in the same place where it all started, would she? She wouldn't be so cruelly romantic?

I pushed away my thoughts and opened up my phone. I clicked on the news app and scrolled through it, surfing for something that wasn't Trump-related. My fingers froze over the screen when I saw my name embedded amongst the headlines.

My eyes flitted across the screen. _Perseus Jackson, CEO, Assaulted After Triton Gala_. Styx. The media found out.

No doubt one of my neighbors had blabbed to a journalist. Maybe it was the one who called the police.

I clicked on the article to see how much they knew. My eyes widened to the size of saucers with every word I read. They had gotten everything. Almost every detail. There was even a short video of me delivering my final punch.

I frustratedly texted my media rep, Drew, asking if they could take it down. She was... an interesting personality. She always kept track of the latest celebrities and fashions, and she never stopped talking about boys. She even tried to hit on me once. But even though she was annoying at times, she really had a way with words. If anybody could convince those tabloids to remove the article, she could. Plus, it was a pretty big violation to discuss an assault that I did not want anyone to see. Especially to show footage of it. If Drew brought that to light, those websites would get rid of it for sure.

I tossed my phone onto the couch and eased myself onto the carpet. Working on the floor helped me focus better than if I were on a desk. Maybe because it was less confining, which helped me with my ADHD. Or maybe it was because carpets were much softer than desks. Whatever the reason, I spent more of my time working on floors than chairs.

An email popped up at the top of my inbox. It was Hazel again. I opened it up.

All she had written was, How are you doing? She had accompanied it with a gif of a baby penguin waddling across the Arctic.

I chuckled. I had chosen to work from home today, in lieu of what happened last night, and Hazel hadn't stopped bothering me all morning. She kept asking me if I was doing okay and if I was still in pain, though she knew I hated it. Which was why she kept attaching penguin gifs and memes in every email to ease my 'anger.'

I replied with a gif of an angry penguin attacking someone. Then, I started playing Spotify on blast and working on the itineraries for my postponed meetings.

A couple minutes later, the doorbell rang.

I stood up in confusion. I didn't order anything on Amazon, all my neighbors were at work, and it was long past Girl Scout cookie season. Who could be at the door?

I paused my music and lumbered to the door. I closed one eye and glanced through the peeping hole in the door.

He was a stranger of sorts. He looked old, probably at least fifty. Silver speckled his formerly black hair. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he nervously bit his lip. I hoped he wasn't one of those people who promoted random businesses from door to door.

I opened the door. The man looked surprised at the sight of me. Weird.

"H-hi," he stammered. His eyes were wide. I noticed they were a deep shade of green, almost like mine. Huh. I hadn't met anybody with the same eye color as me before.

I tilted my head in doubt. "Hi? Can I help you?"

The man tensely ran his hand through his hair. "I, um. There's no gentle way to say this, I guess. But um-"

I gestured for him to continue. His hands fell to his sides in resignation. "Perseus, I am your father."

My thought process. One, was it just me, or was this some screwed up version of The Empire Strikes Back? Two, no wonder he has the same eyes as me. Three, what the FREAKING HADES WAS HE SAYING?

I sputtered, "Wh-what?"

His eyes looked anywhere, everywhere, but at me. "I'm sorry for leaving you. I know it was cruel of me. But there was a reason, I promise."

I held a palm up in the air. "Wait. Stop." I wrapped my hands around my face. This man, this selfish, cold-hearted man, who I had completely avoided thinking about for fear that it would hurt me, was suddenly visiting and going all Darth Vader on me?

I told him as much, and he sighed. "Can I come in?"

I was much too stunned to refuse, so he removed his shoes and stepped inside. I watched him as he took in his surroundings, silently and astutely. Now that I had taken a good look at him, I could see the resemblance. We had the same tan skin, the same black hair, and of course, the same green eyes. We even had the same permanent crinkles near our eyes and the same angular jawline.

But we were different too. He was built more broadly; I was much more lean. He had just smile lines; I had dimples as well. He seemed calm as shit; I was getting very, very angry.

He started off complacently. "I know you probably hate me right now- "

I barked, "Hell yes, I hate you. You left us. You let a drunk old man abuse us for years. You let my mom go through so many lonely years trying to take care of a crazy kid like me. And all the while, you were off doing who knows what, probably canoodling with other women and spending tons of money that you could have used for child support."

The man sat down on my couch, eyeing the laptop and notebooks I had left open on the carpet. "You have good reason to hate me. You really do. But I would appreciate if you could hear my side of the story."

I sat in the armchair farthest away from him and waved my hand as if to say go ahead. I wasn't going to talk to him any more than necessary.

He exhaled loudly. "First off, I'm Poseidon."

I snorted. "Poseidon. What, do you have water powers or something?"

Poseidon cracked a small smile. "I wish. No. I just really like water."

I leaned forward slightly. "Me too."

His smile widened, but it faded once he saw my scowl deepen. "I used to be a bit like you are. A powerful man in charge of a large company, though mine was never as good as yours. Have you heard of Thermocline?"

I shook my head. He nodded acceptingly and continued. "It was a water recreation and swimwear company. Competitors with Rip Curl. A huge deal in the '80s. But anyways, my father used to own it before I took over, and he was business partners with a greedy, heartless guy."

"Like you?" I snapped.

Poseidon ignored me. "One day, roughly a year after you were born, my father invited me on a business cruise to Hawaii. It was meant to be an opportunity for me to gain new investments and capital, and basically promote my company. I didn't want to leave you and your mom, but she urged me to go. We were in the middle of a huge fight at the time. In her eyes, it would be better for all of us. We would get space. I would get success. You would get more funds for a good life." He had a nostalgic expression on his face. The foot that he was previously tapping on the floor was completely still.

He looked back up at me. Green on green. "The cruise ship sunk. I was the only one who survived."

My mouth shaped into an 'o'. His eyes were filled with pain as he continued, "I floated to shore on a slab of wood and immediately collapsed, unconscious. By the time I woke up, days had passed, and I was in Nicaragua. When I saw the news feed, I realized I had been proclaimed dead. Just like all the others. My accounts were nullified. I was left with nothing but the clothes on my back.

"I found some spare change and called a close friend, letting him know I was alive. He told me that I shouldn't come back. That my father's business partner had taken over all of our companies, and if I returned, he would likely try to eliminate me. You see, my friend had this suspicion that the sinking of the cruise ship was done on purpose, so a certain somebody acquire my father's wealth and power. If I stood in the way, it would mean doom for me for sure."

"What about your brothers? My mom told me about a couple cousins." Namely, Nico, Jason, and his sister Thalia.

He flinched. "They started their own businesses. They weren't as dependent on Father as I was. They weren't on the boat either. Plus, we didn't have the best relationship. They wouldn't have helped me, even if I asked."

It was getting harder for me to breathe. "Why didn't you at least come back to us?"

Poseidon lowered his head to his knees. "Because the business partner found out. He didn't know where I was, but he somehow got a message to me. He said that once he found me, he would kill me. And if I came back, he would kill you too."

I gulped. So he left me… to protect me? "So why now? Why did you come back?"

He made eye contact with me again. "Because I heard about the assault and the shooting. I have reason to believe that it's him behind all of this. My father's old business partner. I'm not exactly sure why he's targeting you, or whether it's because of me or something else, but I wanted you to be aware of this story."

I gently asked, "Is James Thorn your father's old business partner?"

Poseidon raised his eyebrows. "No. Who's James Thorn?"

He wasn't? "Then you must be wrong. It's James Thorn who threatened me the other day. I'm pretty sure he's the one targeting me right now. Apparently he has two assassins on me."

Recognition dawned in Poseidon's eyes. He stood up. "Okay. That makes sense."

I was stumped. Did I really disprove him that easily? Or was there something he wasn't telling me? "So, are you going to leave now?"

He clenched his fists. "I guess I will."

"Are you going to say hi to Mom?"

He took a sudden interest in his feet. Shaking his head, he murmured, "No. That'll just mess things up. She married now, isn't she?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He's a great guy."

He glanced at me curiously. "What's his name?"

"Paul. Paul Blofis."

He knitted his eyebrows and smirked. "Blowfish?"

I almost smiled. "No. Blofis."

He glanced forward in confusion. "Oh. What a shame. Blowfish would be a good last name."

This time, I actually smiled. Poseidon grinned at me. Once he realized that we had been staring at each other for a while, he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, I'd better leave now."

I nodded and opened the front door for him. He put his shoes back on, before turning around to face me. "It was really nice to see you again, Perseus."

I tried to maintain my poker face. "Call me Percy."

"Okay," he replied. Gods, old man. Stop smiling at me like that!

I pointed my index finger at him. "I still hate you."

"Noted." Smiling to himself, he walked down the hallway and stepped into the elevator.

I shut the door and leaned against it. If I told the morning version of myself what had just happened, no doubt he would think I was crazy.

I just saw my father for the first time in twenty-seven years. Twenty. Seven. Years.

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS.

And I could never have felt more overjoyed.

My father, who, for the longest time, seemed to have cold-heartedly left my mother and I to the dogs, just apologized for all of the years of his absence. And that wasn't all. He had showed me that he hadn't left to elope with some other girl. He had left to protect us.

My father came back for me. And he wasn't an A-class jerk.

I rolled onto the floor and squealed in delight. I threw my arms in the air. I laughed. And then I cried. I just couldn't believe it. I had met my father again. My father came back for me.

A good half-hour later, I had finally tugged myself out of my elated state and went back to my work. But I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Gods, today was easily the best day of my life!

And it seemed that it would only get better, since I would get to see Annabeth later today.

I spoke too soon.

When I arrived at the bar at eight, Annabeth was already waiting outside. We seated ourselves at a table. The moment we did, I could tell something was wrong. Annabeth wouldn't look at me. She kept fiddling with the strap of her purse. She greeted me in a volume somewhere between a whisper and an indoor voice.

I gently prodded, "Do you want to order a drink, or…"

She shook her head. Then she proceeded to fiddle with her necklace, the one I had gotten her a week or two ago. It was a simple one, sterling silver with an coral pendant on it. But she had never failed to wear it since.

I placed my hand on the table, hoping she would reach for it. "What's wrong?"

She didn't reach for it. "I, uh, you know how I told you I wasn't an architect."

I nodded gently.

She continued, "I… I'm sorry. I just can't."

I gently touched my foot against hers. "You don't have to tell me now. It's okay."

She shook her head vigorously and stammered, "N-no. I just, I have to tell you. Now or never."

"Okay."

She spent another minute staring at her watch or fiddling with her necklace while I watched in silence. Her lips were pursed. Her eyes darted from object to object, never settling on anything at all.

In the end, she closed her eyes and sighed. "You have to promise not to hate me."

I lifted a corner of my mouth. "Of course I won't. Annabeth, I don't care what you are. I care who you are. And I think I already have a good idea of who you are."

Worry and sadness masked her face. "No. No you don't, Percy. I'm just a cruel, heartless idiot who thinks she can be happy in life for once but I can't! I can't, Percy! I don't deserve happiness."

I kneeled next to her. "Sshhh. Don't say that. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you."

She put her face in her hands. "No. You're wrong. You don't even know me, Percy. You don't know the monster I am!"

I grasped her hand. "Stop lying to yourself. Stop degrading yourself. You're so much better than you think you are, Annabeth. You've done so much for me. You've made me stronger, braver, and a whole lot happier. You've changed my outlook on life. You've made me a better man, Wise Girl. And I love you for that."

She stiffened. Shit. Was it too soon? Should I not have said that?

I continued, trying to make amends. "It's okay if you don't love me back. I'm okay with that. But it's true. I love you. And I need you to do the same for yourself. Please."

Annabeth abruptly stood up. "I'm sorry," she said. "I can't do this anymore."

Wait, was she breaking up with me? I panicked. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Just forget I said anything."

"No, Percy. It's not your fault. I just can't handle this anymore. Please."

My heart rate escalated. No. She couldn't be breaking up with me. What did I do wrong? "Is it because I was attacked? Is it the paparazzi? Maybe…"

"No! Percy, stop!"

"But seriously. There's nothing else I know of that you could ditch me for, unless you like someone else… is that it? You just wanted to screw with my heart, all while yours belonged to someone else?"

"Please, you don't understand!"

Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I knew I was getting too angry. I knew I was overreacting. I was probably jumping to terrible conclusions. But I just didn't want to come to terms with what was happening. I didn't want to acknowledge that I wasn't enough for her.

"What don't I understand? Is he just too hot for you to leave? Or does he love you so much better…"

"Percy, I am a murderer!"

I shut up at that, staring at her dumbfoundedly.

Tears threatened to spill out of those stormy eyes as she tried to figure out my thoughts through my expression. The problem with that, however, is that I wasn't thinking. I was just way too shocked. She had killed someone? My compassionate, gracious Annabeth?

She turned away from me as soon as the first tear fell, and she started walking away. But I couldn't let her get away from me. No matter who she killed, or why, she needed help. She needed someone to talk to. And I could never hate someone who needed help. I needed to be there for her.

So I rushed to catch up with her. As soon as she noticed me, she smiled through her tears. "You have this thing about following me, don't you."

I grinned. "Yeah, I guess I do."

We walked in silence for a minute when she suddenly burst out saying, "Why are you still here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I countered.

"Because now you know I'm a terrible person with no moral conscience."

"If that were the case, I would have left you a long time ago."

"Would a person with a moral conscience kill people for a living?"

I stopped in my tracks. It was getting clearer and clearer that much of what she had told me were lies. But it didn't add up. Her personality and her job description didn't go together at all. "You...you're a …"

Annabeth sighed. "I'm an assassin, Percy. Do you now see why I can't be with you? Do you know why I don't deserve you?"

"Don't you for a second tell yourself that you don't deserve me. That's the biggest lie you can tell." But, wait. She was at the Thalassa building. She had been there when the shots were fired. Chris had told me that one had dark hair, but... "Are you the other one? The one who was supposed to kill-"

Her eyes widened. "NO! No. Never. Percy, I would never try to kill you."

I felt a held breath slip out of my chest. Phew. "Okay. But…why? Why do you do it?"

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she furiously swiped her sleeve at it to wipe it away. "I honestly don't know…"

She looked to the right, only to find a small clump of people staring straight at us. A couple of them were pointing, and a man on the right had his phone out. Filming us.

I cursed under my breath. This was why I hated being famous. Privacy just didn't exist anymore.

I gently grasped Annabeth's hand and whispered, "Let's go to my place before the paparazzi come."

Between sniffles, she nodded and squeezed my hand. I swiftly guided her past the group of spectators and entered a sidestreet that led to my home, but Annabeth tugged on my sleeve.

"Percy, they're following us."

I didn't bother to turn around. They had done it enough times for me to become unbothered by it. "Let's run."

So we sprinted down the street and turned onto the gravelly road on the right. We continued until I found the emergency exit door buried into the back of my apartment building. I swiped my special access card into the slot above the door handle, which allowed me to enter without the alarm ringing. Thank the gods the landowners had given it to me, foreseeing that I would need it to escape paparazzi.

The heavy door opened with a bang. I dragged Annabeth into the dark hall.

As we silently drifted up the stairs, Annabeth asked, "Did they see us?"

I assured, "I don't think so. If they did, they can't get in without getting sent to prison for trespassing."

We found ourselves in front of my apartment, where I whisked my spare keys out of their hiding place and unlocked the door. It was dark inside, and kind of chilly, but it still felt safe. Safe enough for us to talk interrupted. For Annabeth to trust me.

I shut the door behind her as she dropped her purse and slumped to the ground. Her grey eyes were bloodshot and pink around the edges. A moist veil of tears covered her face, and almost immediately, she started adding more to it.

I shushed her and urged her to step inside. We settled on my bed, and I hugged her to my chest. "It's okay. Do you want to talk to me?"

She nodded into my shirt and sat up straight. "I'm sorry. I ruined your shirt."

I waved it off. "It's okay. It's just water."

"And snot. And probably spit. And…"

I placed a finger on her lips. "Ssh. Let's leave it a mystery."

She chuckled. "I…should I start?"

I wrapped her hands with mine and nodded. We both sat criss-cross applesauce on the bed, our knees touching each other's.

She wiped away some more of her tears before beginning. "What I told you that day at the hospital was true. It was just the abridged version. My mother died when I was a kid. My step-mom eloped. My dad is a drunk. But I didn't tell you about Fan Zhi. And Luke. And how bad our situation was."

I rubbed circles on the back of her hands. It was equally to calm myself down as it was to calm her. I didn't want to judge her. I didn't want to hate her. She had gone through hell as a kid. And even though that probably wasn't an excuse to kill people, she was better than what her job demanded of her. She was better than she thought she was.

It may have only been two months, but I knew her better than I knew myself. I knew she was incredibly kind. Stubborn. Brave. Know-it-all. Ambitious. Prideful. Funny. Sometimes incredibly insecure. Loving. Special.

She was one-of-a-kind, and I wasn't going to let go of her anytime soon.

She sniffled again. "Well, um, so I was standing in front of a Wal-Mart…"

And I listened. I listened to her tell me about Fan Zhi and her premature death. I heard her describe her first kill and how much it jarred her. And every kill after that. She remembered every single kill like each one was a scar on her heart. And she told me no matter how much she tried to convince herself she was killing bad people, she could never forget the looks on their faces as they realized what was happening to them.

With every sob, every remorseful word, my heart broke even more for her. Life had given her two paths. As a young, impressionable girl, she had been provided with the easy route and the hard route. Not knowing any better, she had chosen the easy route. At every intersection she came across, she looked back. And then looked forward. And kept proceeding down that same path because it was the only thing she ever knew. It was the only future she could see defined for her, so she took it.

She grabbed a Kleenex from my nightstand and blew her nose. "I'm so sorry, Percy. I know I'm an asshole. I know that I shouldn't have done it. But I was scared. I'm still scared. You made me want to forge a new future for myself, but I don't know if I can do it."

I wrapped my arms around her. "Annabeth, nobody I know is as hardworking, persistent, and strong as you. If anyone can do it, you can. And I'll be there with you every step of the way."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and cried, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Percy. Thank you. I don't think I'll ever deserve you."

I placed my hands on her cheeks. "You don't deserve me. You deserve more than me. You deserve the world, Wise Girl, and you don't even know it." With that, I kissed her. Softly and sweetly, but hard enough to show her that I loved her, and I wouldn't let her go.

And when she kissed me back, a fire sprouted in my belly. It raged throughout me as our lips moved in sync, capturing every possible opportunity to stay in contact. One of her hands buried itself in my hair, while the other slipped down to the hem of my shirt. After a few minutes of kissing and teasing, I obliged and pulled it off of my body.

Her lips caressed my cheek, my jaw, my collarbone, as I lowered her onto the bed. Her hands skimmed across my torso. When they reached the small of my back, I shivered with pleasure. Gods, this woman was going to be the death of me.

We couldn't keep ourselves off of each other. Flames flickered across my skin with every touch. Her hands couldn't decide where to settle; they were all over me. Safe to say, I was pretty much the same way. I kissed every part of her exposed skin. I nuzzled her as I buried my lips in the skin of her throat. My hands slid up and down her stomach as she finally rid herself of that accursed orange t-shirt.

As I nibbled on that soft corner of her skin beside the base of her neck, she gasped and whimpered my name. Her hands tightened against the back of my head. There she was. Raw. Beautiful. Unguarded. A wave of heat swept through my body. And I lost all self control.

I think that probably _was_ the best day of my life.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi guys! This will be the last chapter that I will post in a while, because school starts tomorrow for me, and finding the time to update will be pretty difficult. So basically, I'll be updating much less frequently. Just a warning.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns these characters.**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

Well, that was unexpected.

I had walked to that bar fully expecting my short-lived relationship with Percy would be over. And I knew for a fact that I would never meet anybody who even compared to him. I was sure that I would never be able to get over him. Which is why I had cried for a good fifteen minutes before meeting up with him.

But, gods. Wow.

He was hands-down the most forgiving, loving, understanding person I had ever met. I had exposed myself for the monster I truly was, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he had pointed out all the reasons I wasn't a monster, and all the reasons why I was capable of letting that monster go. All the more reason why I didn't deserve him.

Plus, after my confession, he was so gentle with me. So kind. He had kissed all of my scars and had held me as if I were a delicate doll. And yet he never failed to show me the passion that had been bursting out of his chest. I had never experienced that kind of a euphoria. I could only hope he got my message too.

Light filtered through the shades covering the windows and warmed me with their touch. Cool air from the fan above nipped against my partially covered body. Percy's arms were wrapped around my waist. His slow, deep breaths felt warm against the skin on my neck.

My eyes fluttered open. Our clothes lay scattered on the floor. The time read 7:52.

I twisted around in Percy's arms, resulting in a soft grumble. He tightened his grip on me. His long eyelashes rested against his cheekbones, and a small river of drool trickled down his lips.

I kissed him on the nose. He unintelligibly murmured something and swatted at his nose, as if nothing more than a fly had landed on it. Typical.

I gently patted his cheek and said, "Wake up, Percy. You're going to be late for work."

"Hmm?"

"Get your stupid butt up, Seaweed Brain."

"You think my butt is stupid?"

"Shut up and go to work."

A smile flickered across his lips as he groggily rubbed his eyes. "I mean, I could always work from home again. I _was_ beaten up recently. Unless you want me to go..."

I playfully shoved him in the shoulder. "You know the answer to that question."

He rolled off of the bed and stood. The comforter slid off of his bare body tantalizingly, making me blush. "Fine, I'll go."

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the mattress. "You monkey."

He landed right on top of me and kissed my shoulder. "You know it."

After a few more hours of canoodling and whispering sweet nothings, we hopped into the bath. And I swear, other than the fact that we weren't wearing clothes, it was entirely G-rated. In fact, we reenacted a sea battle with Percy's assortment of rubber ducks.

And with every word. Every laugh. Every crooked grin that I had come to love, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the well of his sea-green eyes. And there was no way in Hades I wanted to climb out.

As soon as we had slipped into our clothes, Percy grasped my hand. I looked back at him. He was sitting on the closed toilet seat. He wore a striped Abercrombie shirt and basketball shorts. His socks were adorned with quacking ducks.

He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I can get you a job, you know."

"What?"

He burst into a grin. "Dude, I actually could do it! We have an architectural group meant for the design of new office buildings and other stuff. I could get you in there, and you can finally have a job! Screw the interview process. I know you. You'd be great at it."

A job? Right out of the blue? Without any college education? I gulped. I loved Percy for it, but, "I-I can't though."

The smile disappeared off his face, only to be replaced with his baby seal-like pout. "Why not?"

"I can't take a job in your company when there are so many legit, qualified architects who would do anything to get it."

"But you're just as qualified as they are! You don't need paperwork to show that."

"Percy, you haven't even seen my drawings. How would you know I'm qualified?"

"I just have a feeling. But…" He flashed me a shy smile. "Can I see them?"

I scrunched up my nose. "No."

He stood up. "Why not?"

I crossed my arms. "No."

He stepped closer to me. "But-"

I raised a finger to his lips. "No buts. My drawings are top-secret."

He swooped down low and picked my up by the legs. Then, he slung me over his shoulder. "What about now?"

I pounded on his back and flailed my legs. "Put. Me. DOWN. Perseus. Freaking. Jackson."

He walked into the living room with me in tow, completely ignoring my tantrum. "Huh. Freaking. That's a new one."

I screamed, "Shut up, Seaweed Brain. Put me down!"

He feigned consideration. "Hmm. Maybe if somebody shows me her drawings?"

I loudly huffed and relaxed my body. "Fine. Butthead."

He laughed and threw me down on the couch. His body followed, as he smushed me against the cushions. That 190-pound dork.

He wrapped his arms around my waist. "Show me."

I wiggled out of his grasp. "I don't have my sketchbook with me."

He gasped in betrayal. "So, I did all that for nothing?"

Then, he did the unthinkable. He started tickling me. TICKLING. Me.

Squealing, I jerked as if he had just electrocuted me

"Ha!" Percy proclaimed.

Thankfully, I rolled off of the couch before he could attack me any further. "Fine!" I conceded. "I have pictures on my phone. If you stop tickling me, I'll show them to you."

Percy cheered, and I walked back to the bedroom to grab my phone. But somehow, I hadn't noticed Percy sneak up behind me. As soon as I flipped to my pictures, he plucked the phone out of my hand.

"Hey!" I yelled as he ran away, cackling.

"Ooh. What's this? Oh. My. Gods. Did you seriously screenshot my Calvin Klein underwear campaign?"

I felt a blush paint my cheeks. "Stop looking through my phone!"

"Hey, look! It's Piper!" He stopped in his tracks. "Wow."

I caught up to him and glanced at my phone to see what he was looking at. He remarked, "Is that the Triton gala hall?"

It was. It was my version of the hall with a couple minor changes. I changed made the ceiling more sweeping and added more ornamentation. I also changed the shape of the balconies to highlight the navy curtains and balustrades. I also modified the walls to add little carvings and to create little tear-shaped alcoves for additional decorations to be placed.

It was just a rough sketch which I had completed yesterday morning. There were still many improvements to be made. And yet, Percy seemed almost entranced by it.

He swiped left to find another picture. Shoot. No. He wasn't supposed to see that.

He smirked. "Is this my apartment?"

I attempted to snatch my phone from him, but he held it up so that I couldn't reach. I warned, "Percy…"

He simply walked away from me, still gazing at the phone. "This is absolutely amazing, Wise Girl. I bet you half the people on the architecture team couldn't even come close to this."

I smacked him on the arm. "Well, I call _this_ appropriation of private property."

He stuck his tongue out at me. "Not when you voluntarily give me your phone."

I cried, "There was nothing voluntary about it!"

Sighing, he turned off my phone and handed it to me. I hugged it to my chest and whacked him upside the head. "Meanie."

He grinned smugly. "You should really get a job at Thalassa."

I glanced at my feet. "I'll think about it."

He plopped himself onto the couch and pulled me onto his lap. "Please do."

We spent the rest of the day doing random stuff around the house. We watched Set It Up on Netflix, made lunch (most of it ending up on the floor after a food fight), and went shopping at the mall. Percy bought me a pair of owl earrings, and I got him a plastic ring with an infinity sign on it.

That night, I was forced to go home, since Percy had to work and he didn't want to miss another day. He walked me downstairs.

Percy wouldn't let go of my hand. "Let me know if you want to join. Trust me. You'll be more than welcomed when people find out about your skills."

I snorted. "You wish."

He pulled me closer and hugged me. "No. I'm sure."

I kissed him on the cheek, but he pulled away before I could move to his mouth. "Stop tempting me!" he whined.

I smiled up at him. "Okay."

We stood like that for a couple seconds, just randomly staring at each other, before I turned away. "Okay. I am going. Now."

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Unless my taxi driver turns out to be a girl-kidnapping monster, yes. I'll be okay."

Gods. That boy.

I went to sleep that night with a smile on my face. And I don't think it fully wore off until the next day.

When I woke up, I remembered that I still had one more threat to get rid of before I could fully start over. Thorn's boss.

What was his name? Atlas?

I decided to visit Reyna to check up on her and ask her for any other information about him.

But instead, I found myself aimlessly wandering through the hospital halls, searching for the room where Percy had told me his story.

There it was. E102. I glanced through the window in the door. It was empty. The chair was no longer where it was when Percy had sat in it, roughly two months ago. But the memories were still there.

I sighed. Two days ago, I had told Percy that I would never kill him, which was very true. I had said that in response to the question, _are you the other assassin_ , and I had quit long before that. But it still bore its weight upon me. Guilt was still eating away at my soul. Significantly less guilt than before I had told Percy my secret, but still. The day we were sitting in this very hospital room, Percy had trusted me with his life. All while I was tasked to end it.

I withdrew my touch from the glass and headed back to Reyna's room. I shouldn't worry about that now. My number one priority was making sure Thorn's boss wouldn't bother Percy anymore.

A nurse gave me the go-ahead to enter her room, so I stepped in. Reyna looked stressed. Tired. And completely out of it. When she saw me enter the room, however, her eyes brightened.

I sat beside her. "Hey. What's wrong?"

She rested her hand upon her forehead and sniffed, "Guess who I just met again?"

I tilted my head in confusion. Reyna sighed. "Turns out my sister works here. I saw her today for the first time in over ten years."

I gasped. "Seriously?"

She nodded. I asked, "How did the conversation go?"

"You know. The typical, 'Oh my gods, I missed you so much, let's completely ignore how I left you for dead in Puerto Rico' speech."

I grimaced. "Give it time. She'll apologize."

Reyna shook her head. "I've given her over half of my life. It's fine. I'll just ignore it. Move past it. Just like I always have."

I grasped her hand. "Have you decided what you're going to do to restart?"

"Turns out they associated my dad's death with a gang fight, so nothing's tainting my record. As far as they know, I've just been homeless for most of my life. Which is good. I think I might want to study something with leadership. I don't know. Business? Law? Teaching? I'll probably get a job at a convenience store in the meantime."

I squeezed her hand and let go. "Anything is a step forward, right?"

"I guess. What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to check on you, and I also wanted to see if you knew any more about Atlas. I don't want to leave him running around and chasing after Percy."

She gave me a sad smile. "Sorry. What I told you that other day is all I know. His name is Atlas, and he's been bossing Thorn around. He wants Percy dead or alive. But mostly dead."

I hesitated. "Or alive?"

Reyna nodded, then widened her eyes. "Oh wait. That is weird, isn't it? Why hire two assassins if you're okay with a simple kidnapping?"

"Yeah." I pondered. "Are you sure he said the words 'dead or alive'?"

She nodded. I continued, "Then that must mean Atlas isn't necessarily after Percy's land, or his company. There must be some other motive."

"I mean, he could just be wanting to torture Percy into letting go of his company."

"Yeah but then, Percy would return and demand it back. He could also bring the situation to the police."

"Maybe kill him afterward?"

"Wait. I think we're looking at this all wrong. If Percy dies, who does the company go to?"

"I think Percy chooses the replacement beforehand, with the collaboration of the board."

"So either the board is saturated with Atlas' cronies, or Atlas doesn't want the company."

Reyna thought for a second. "What if it's revenge?"

I stared at her. "What?"

"What if Percy did something, or his parents did something, that Atlas didn't like? So then he wants to get revenge for it."

I gave her a high-five. "That may be a possibility."

Reyna smiled at me. "Go. I don't want to keep you waiting. Go talk to Leo and look into this case. I'll join you when I can get out of this damn hospital."

I got up. "Thank you, Reyna. You're the best."

"Not really. But good luck on saving Percy. I can tell you really love him."

I paused. Did I love him?

I did. He gave me hope when no one else could. He gave me courage when no one else did. He gave me a reason to live my life. He was truly one of a kind, the best I would ever come to know.

As I left the room, I heard Reyna murmur softly, "Hopefully, someday I can find my own Percy."

You will, Reyna. Someday, you will.

As soon as I returned home, I embarked on my Atlas chase.

It started with a simple Internet search. First result: "atlas (n.) - a book of maps or charts". Awesome. That's exactly what I wanted.

I modified my search to 'Atlas businessman'. Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. I scrolled through the list of search results and clicked on his Wikipedia. However unreliable Wikipedia may be, it was the easiest place to find information, because 90% of what the Internet knew about him was compiled into one source.

I scrolled through the website. Most of it seemed uninteresting. He was a businessman who co-owned a variety of companies with a man named Kronos. After Kronos died at sea, he took over those companies and had been running them since. The only mildly unbecoming quality about him seemed to be that he had been tried for tax embezzlement years ago, but had soon become acquitted.

Hmm. What about family life? He was apparently single after his second wife, Hesperis, died. His first wife, Pleione, had given birth to a bunch of girls, and he had an affair with this lady named Tethys, who later gave birth to...

Calypso?

I clicked on the link that led to her name. Her Wikipedia page was pretty small. All it stated was that she was the daughter of Atlas and Tethys, and she was the co-owner of a machine shop with Leo. Nothing I didn't know. Except that Calypso was the daughter of a famous businessman. Who was apparently plotting to kill the love of my life.

I slammed my computer shut. Calypso had never told me anything about her family, save for a couple details. She told me that she had many sisters, none of whom cared about her. She said her parents were ashamed of her, and they left her to live in the Bahamas on her own the moment she turned eighteen.

Apparently, that was how she met Leo. He had been on a vacation to the Bahamas and flirted with her incessantly. She said she was immensely annoyed by him, and only realized she liked him at the end of his two-week stay. He had to leave, but came back the next summer and asked her to come back home with him. The rest was history.

That was all Calypso would ever tell me about her family history, so I assumed it was no big deal. Besides, Calypso was the sweetest, most homely person I knew, so I didn't have much of a reason to question her past.

Did she know her father was a killer?

Next stop: the machine shop.

As I entered, Leo yelled, "Careful! Invention gone wrong!"

I blinked. A metal robot of sorts was clanking rapidly around the shop, steam billowing from its ear holes. Calypso was running after it while Leo was rolling on the floor, trying to remove the fire from his arms.

"Please don't tell me you have customers in here."

Leo got up and waved his arms to ensure no stray flames were present on his clothes. "Nope. Closed for the day. Mainly because I was anticipating this."

Calypso jumped onto the robot and tackled it to the ground. Its arms and legs kept moving, but it had nowhere to go. Leo brought his hands to his face. "Ay ay ay, chica! Don't tell me you broke him!"

Calypso brushed the grease from her hands onto her apron and rolled her eyes. "It's made of titanium. I'm made of skin. And you worry about the stupid robot?"

Leo consoled her by kissing her on the cheek. Then, he rushed to his robot and fiddled with its wires.

Calypso sighed. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her face was devoid of makeup. She wore a tattered white crop top and skinny jeans under her machine shop apron. She looked spectacular. She _always_ looked spectacular. No matter where she was, or what she wore, she was always the prettiest in the room.

I fought down a wave of envy as she asked, "What brings you here today?"

I awkwardly shouldered my purse. "Um, you know the last time I talked to you?"

She nodded. Her thumbs slipped into her jeans pockets. "Yeah. About Percy, right?"

I affirmed, "Yeah. So, I refused the offer after a long, messed-up two weeks, but somewhere along the way, I found out that it's not James Thorn who wanted Percy killed. It's a man named Atlas. I believe you know him?"

The moment his name escaped my lips, Calypso stiffened. Her light smile was long gone, kicked out by a hardened frown. Her words were filled with venom. "Yes. I do. I wish I didn't."

Calypso brought me to the counter and patted it, urging me to sit down. "My father was a terrible man. We were constantly fighting, which is why they made the decision to send me to the Bahamas. And honestly, I was relieved. It was a great place to call home. Far from the corrupt things my father did."

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Can you tell me what they were?"

She placed her hand over mine. "At this point, it's been years. I'm not sure I remember all of it. But I do know that the tax embezzlement charges against him were true. He just bribed a couple people into letting him go."

I flinched. This guy was dangerous. For sure. He had money, and he had connections. And that was all a person needed to take over a country, much less sway a jury.

She continued, "I don't know why he would be after Percy. But if anything, it's not for his company. He already has enough things to run. There's something deeper that's going on. And if you don't mind, I would like to be a part of this."

I gaped at her. "Calypso, you shouldn't. It'll be dangerous."

She shook her head. "I want to, Annabeth. Please let me."

"But-"

From beside the robot, Leo loudly exclaimed, "By the way, Annabeth, we have news to tell you!"

I hesitated. "What is it?" I pretended not to notice the withering glare Calypso sent Leo. Based on what I saw, so did Leo.

He walked up to me and rested his elbow on my shoulder. "You wanna tell her, Sunshine?"

Calypso bit her lip. "Not really. Not now, at least."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why not?"

And that was all I needed. Because as he asked her that question, his gaze flitted from her face to her stomach. And back. And there was only one thing that could mean.

I abruptly stood up. The stool I was seated on fell backwards and clattered to the ground. "Calypso, no. If you're pregnant, there's absolutely no way you can do this with me."

She pleaded, "But Annabeth-"

A lost Leo asked, "Do what?"

Calypso ignored him. "Annabeth, this is my father we're talking about. If anybody knows how he thinks, or what he'll do, it's me."

"I'm not putting you or your baby in danger, Calypso."

"Stop thinking about my safety. He won't kill me. He's my father, for gods' sakes. Please, just let me do this."

I cried, "Calm down. Stress isn't good for you."

She yelled, "I don't care! Somebody's life is on the line because of my father. I can't let this happen! I won't!" Her voice echoed around the room. As if sensing the tension in the air, Leo's robot stopped clanking and powered down.

Leo slipped his hand into hers. Calypso rested her forehead against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

I wrapped my arms around her. "No. It's okay. You have a reason to. I get it. I just, I don't want you to get hurt."

She smiled sadly. "I know. But Annabeth, I can make my own decisions. And whether you want me to or not, I'm going to get involved. Somehow."

"Okay. Fine."

Leo cautioned, "Calypso…"

She lightly pushed him away. "Don't start. Nothing you say is going to make me change my mind."

We stood in awkward silence as Calypso wiped away her angry tears. Leo stroked her hair gently. Watching the two of them, I couldn't help but think about Percy. Would we have a future together? Or would either of us be dead before that, having been caught in Atlas' game?

As if sensing my thought process, Calypso smiled. "What has you willing to risk your life to save Percy?"

My mouth opened and closed like a fish. Leo intervened, "I have a suspicion they're romantically involved."

Calypso smirked. "Told you so."

I pouted. "Shut up."

She hugged me. "Congratulations."

I squeezed her tighter. "Congratulations to _you._ Baby on the way! How far along are you?"

She brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Roughly three months."

"Any names in mind?"

Leo stated, "Not sure. Maybe Sammy for a boy. We're still thinking."

We chatted a bit about Calypso's baby, until Leo's robot started malfunctioning again. He ran after it, yelling something about how it was an automated kiosk. I declared that I would leave, and Calypso saw me out the door.

She hugged me. "Thank you for coming. It was great to see you again."

I rested my chin against her head. "No. Thank _you._ Stay safe, Calypso. I'll keep in contact with you."

She smiled warmly at me and waved as I pulled out of the parking lot.

So now, I had Calypso and Leo on my team. I just had to talk to one more person.

Thalia.

She had been one of my best friends for ages. I knew her since I was seven; we were best friends in my first grade class. But after my mom died and my dad got drunk, I was forced to drop out and help my family. I ran into her again when I was ten, when she was on a Wal-Mart run with her dad. We caught up, and I told her about my situation. The next time we met was when I was thirteen. She had somehow stumbled upon our shack, and spend the entire day with me as I told her about the past three eventful years of my life.

She was the first person I told about my real job. And she was the only friend of mine who didn't try to convince me to stop. She understood my situation. She understood that it was my choice. She also knew that I would never kill a person who didn't deserve it. So she let me do it.

I didn't get to talk to her as often, nowadays. She was often abroad, working with her vigilante girl-group, the Hunters, and running after the world's most dangerous criminals. She had tried to recruit me a couple times, but it just wasn't my kind of lifestyle.

For the past couple months, she was in Kazakhstan to capture a Russian crime lord who had gone into hiding. I had constantly debated calling her in ever since I found out about Atlas, but I had always shut the thought down, because Thalia had bigger things to worry about.

But now, things had changed. The situation had expanded beyond a simple assassination. We were now dealing with a supposedly corrupt businessman trying to decimate a corporate empire for some personal reason. And based on what Calypso had implied, this wasn't his first time.

Once at home, I dialed Thalia's number. Voicemail. I tried again. She finally picked up.

"Annabeth."

"Hey! Is this a bad time?"

Her teeth chattered. "Oh, no. You're good. We're on a short break anyway."

"What are you doing?"

"We're casually hiking through a snowstorm to get back to the base. The bad guy has been caught, but we need to get home, and the weather's too bad to get a helicopter or something. What's up?"

"I-um-so a whole lot of stuff happened when you were gone. I got another offer, things got messed up, and now a corrupt businessman wants to kill an innocent guy who happens to own one of the largest companies in the world."

"And…?"

"I'll put names to the faces. Businessman: Atlas, Calypso's dad. Innocent guy: Perseus Jackson. From Thalassa."

Thalia gasped. "Are you serious?"

I confirmed it. Thalia remarked, "Atlas is a sketchy guy. We were looking into him for another case of ours, and there's a lot of bad things that he's done. Problem is, we don't have the evidence to put him in jail. I feel bad for Calypso, having him as a father."

"Yeah. She feels bad for it too. But I was just wondering if you guys could help with this? I know it's way below your pay grade, but I don't want to let an innocent man die."

Thalia snickered. "Please explain why your voice softens every time you call Jackson an innocent guy."

"No thanks. Just, can you help me here?"

"Yeah. For sure. You'll be our next mission. Let me discuss it with Phoebe and Artemis, and we'll be on our way. I'll update you if anything happens."

"Thanks, Thalia." I said. "By the way-"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to stop after this."

"Stop what?"

"Being an assassin. I'm sick of being a monster."

I could hear the smile in Thalia's voice. "Gods, this Jackson is a miracle worker. Good. I'm happy for you. See you soon!"

"Likewise. Bye!"

I hung up the phone. A smile found its way onto my face as I thought about all I had learned today.

I knew that Atlas was a dangerous man. I knew the risks were crazy. There was a very, very high chance that I would get hurt. But I couldn't help but feel elated. I got a team to save Percy. We were going to kick the crap out of Atlas and his crew. My Seaweed Brain would be alive and safe.

And that was all that mattered to me.

* * *

 **So, I originally started this story with a goal of getting 100 reviews by the end of the story. I think that's pretty far-fetched now, but maybe we can reach 50 by the end? I would really appreciate if you could review as much as you can, and give me feedback on how to proceed. The chapters I'm writing right now (I'm currently writing chp. 21, the climax) are really difficult to write, so if you could maybe give me some pointers on how you think the story should go or how I could improve my writing, it would be much appreciated.**

 **I'll try to update again by next month, but I can't make any promises.**

 **Thank you for all your support!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Percy**

I was physically incapable of wiping that smile off of my face.

It remained as I slept. I woke up smiling. I ate breakfast smiling. Even as I was driving. No matter what I did, my smile refused to leave.

I guess love does that to you.

Gods. Love.

Three months ago, I was sulking. Lonely. I spent all my time either at work or with friends, and I hadn't been satisfied at all.

Now, I had been threatened, targeted, shot at, assaulted, and exposed for all the world to see. And yet, I was happier than I could ever remember.

Annabeth had done that for me.

Heat spread through my body as I thought about our night together. She hadn't said those three special words. But I felt it in my bones as she kissed me that night. The way she touched me, the way she called my name, the look in her eyes all amounted into one thought. She loved me.

I was shocked for sure when she told me she was an assassin. That fact had shaken me to the core, no lie. But I was so glad I made the decision to hear her out. She had shown me who she truly was that night. And I loved her for it.

A little part of me was worried that, if she chose to hide such an important part of her from me, what if she was hiding something else? Was there anything else she would lie to me about?

But in my heart, I knew that if she was hiding something, she would tell me someday. As our relationship progressed, she would learn to talk to me more. She would trust me a little more. And eventually, we would reach that point where nothing was hidden. Maybe, once we reached that point, I would propose to her, and-

Woah, Percy. Hold your horses. Stop thinking that far ahead.

I walked into Thalassa. Since the shooting, the building had been fixed, if not improved. Half of the fourth floor had redone, and it was as good as new. New safety measures had been taken, including increased security and a set of legit police officers.

Speaking of which, they still hadn't uncovered Thorn's location. They seemed to be genuinely trying, though, so that made me slightly happy.

I shouldered my backpack and strolled through the lobby. I got plenty of stares, likely because I still had an angry bruise on my face. But many of those stares were accompanied by smiles. Congratulations on the gala. Welcome backs for my absence. Well-wishes for my injuries. Nobody mentioned the fact that I had a target on the back of my head, and for good reason. It probably would have raised the awkwardness level by 200%.

I hummed to the song playing in the elevator as I passed the fifth, ninth, twelfth floor. When it reached my floor, I stopped humming and stepped out. Hazel was waiting for me in my office, arms crossed.

I set down my backpack and glanced at her doubtfully. "What?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was just thinking about how Perseus Jackson took a day off. On purpose. Without being forced."

My eyes shifted from side to side. "So?"

"I mean, you've never done that before. Ever. In the history of Thalassa."

"So…?"

A mischievous grin broke out on her face. "Fine. If you won't admit it, that's all right with me. But remember, I know you. You haven't been this happy in weeks. Months. Actually, ever. But I think something happened _interesting_ yesterday. Perhaps involving Annabeth."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't fight the pink stretching onto my face. Hazel exclaimed, "I knew it!" and giddily pranced off to her desk. How she was considered an adult, I'll have no idea.

I checked my schedule for the day. I had three meetings to make up from the last two days, the first of which started in five minutes. Frantically, I gathered all of the right files and my USB and flew out of the room. I ran into Butch along the way, who said he would be fulfilling his bodyguard duties by stalking me. Great. Awesome.

Three meetings later, my bladder was killing me. They were all back-to-back, so I didn't have any time to relieve myself. I raced back to my office, dropped all of my stuff on my desk, and rushed to the bathroom, Butch on my tail. When he told me he would be outside, I nodded and went inside to do my business.

When I finished, it was almost cathartic. I sighed in contentment. Now to finish all the work I hadn't finished over the last two days.

As soon as I reached the sink, I heard a loud, painful grunt. It sounded like it was coming from the stall to my right.

I called, "Hello? Are you alright?"

No answer.

Cautiously, I crept to the stall door. It was slightly ajar.

I tapped it to see if somebody was in the stall. Maybe he was just constipated or something. There was no response.

I glanced under the door to check for a pair of legs.

I found a pair of legs, all right. Attached to a body. And a head. All collapsed on the floor.

I shoved the door open and kneeled beside the man. He looked familiar. Wasn't he with Ethan the day of the Thalassa explosion?

I checked for a pulse. Thank the gods. A faint heartbeat thrummed against my fingers. Exhaling, I lowered my hand to my side. He was okay. Probably just unconscious.

I stood up to ask Butch for help in carrying the man to security. Too late, I noticed a shadow in my peripheral vision. Before I could turn around, a flood of pain stabbed through my head. Something clattered to the floor. My vision turned black.

* * *

A stinging sensation burned in my eyes. My head throbbed and ached. Starry lights clouded my vision as I forced my eyes open.

When the colorful spots faded, I realized I was in a cell. A prison cell. It was one of those jail cells with bars in front, so you could see everything in front of you. The grey metal poles were rusty. Dark gray and red splotches matted the rest of the walls. I had a suspicion about what the red was, but I didn't want it confirmed.

There was nothing in my cell. Not a sink. Not a bed. Not a table. A lone toilet sat in the corner, so all the world could see whenever I needed to pee. There were also chains. Rusty, bloody chains that enclosed my wrists and kept me attached to the walls. They were already digging into my skin. If they ever were removed, I could tell there would be angry red marks on my skin.

I closed my eyes and slammed my head against the back wall. Bad idea. Sparks burst in my view and my head started throbbing harder. Faster.

I groaned in pain. What was going on? Why was I here? How did I get here?

I tried to remember, but I couldn't. The last thing I recalled was writing down notes about the architecture team's progress…

Annabeth. Did she know I was here? Was she okay?

I opened my eyes again. There was another cell across from me, identical in all aspects except reversed. It was empty.

"Annabeth?" I called. No answer. Good. She wasn't taken with me.

Was I alone? "Hazel? Butch?" Wait a second… "Thorn?"

My throaty voice echoed through the room. I got no responses. It hurt to speak, but I kept calling out their names. Any names. Anybody.

Sooner or later, I gave up and slumped against the wall. I was probably the victim of a kidnapping. And if anyone had the motive to kidnap me, it was Thorn. He would probably come in eventually. Maybe he would torture me into giving him the land. Or maybe he had something else in mind.

I coughed. Then closed my eyes. If nobody was here, then I might as well rest. I let the darkness cloak my vision as I succumbed to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, I wasn't alone.

A guard stood rigidly outside of my cell. He was dressed in a black security uniform. The muzzle of a long, black rifle rested on the ground, the other end held firmly by the man's gloved hand. A cap was pulled low over his face. A bandanna covered all of his features, save for a pair of hazel eyes.

I scrambled across the floor to the entrance of the cell. The rattling of my chains drew the guard's attention.

"Help," I rasped. "Please."

The guard ignored me and turned away.

"Where am I? Why am I here? What does Thorn want from me?"

Silence.

I shuffled forward on my knees as far as I could, but the chains prevented me from reaching the door. I strained against them for a bit, but to no avail. My muscles began aching. I felt weak. Tired. Hungry.

I bothered the guard for some more time, trying to find out more about my location, but he refused to acknowledge me.

Concedingly, I slumped back against the wall. I bypassed an hour or two reliving memories that I had shared with Annabeth, but it didn't help me lift my mood. All I could think about was whether she knew I had been kidnapped. What about the rest of my friends? Were they already looking for me? Or did they think that I was just spending a really long time in the bathroom? What if they thought I had just gone home?

I curled myself up into a ball and rested my head against my knees. It wasn't long before sleep found me again.

* * *

A jarring CLANG rattled me from my slumber. My eyes shot open.

In front of my jail cell stood James Thorn. Anger flickered in his eyes. His voice sounded gruff. "Perseus Jackson."

Weakly, I responded, "Yup. That's me."

He snarled. "Where is your father?"

I flinched. My father? Why would he ask about my father? Poseidon said that he didn't know who Thorn was!

It wasn't difficult to sound confounded. "My father? How am I supposed to know? I haven't seen him since I was one! I hardly remember him!"

Thorn kicked the bars furiously. The sound of boot hitting metal echoed through the hall. He growled, "I don't want to deal with your crap today. Where is he?"

I matched his tone. "I. Don't. Know. And I don't care."

Thorn ordered to his guard, "Open it."

Obligingly, the man unlocked the door. My eyes followed his hands hungrily as he placed the keys back in his shirt pocket. Was there a chance I could steal them and escape?

Thorn stepped inside. His jaw was clenched tightly. I could almost hear the grinding of his teeth as his fists opened and closed.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Where. Is. Your. FATHER!"

I smiled at him. "Why? You miss your old buddy's son?"

He drew back his hand. My head swung to the other side from his fist's impact. The taste of iron filled my mouth, but I spit it out. I narrowed my eyes at him. My hands may have been literally tied, but I wasn't going to back down.

Thorn grabbed me by my shirt collar. His words were filled with malice. "I don't know what you're saying, asshole. All I know is that my life is on the line, and so is yours. So if you want to save your pretty little ass, tell me where your f***ing father is."

I remained silent. What did he mean, his life was on the line? My father was "dead". What could he have that could possibly save Thorn's life?

Unless…

No.

Was _Thorn_ being blackmailed by my grandfather's old business partner? Was that why Poseidon hadn't recognized Thorn? Was this really all about getting to my father?

But if I was the bait, then why did he try to kill me? Getting me out of the picture wouldn't have done anything to bring Poseidon where he wanted. There was something more to it, for sure.

Thorn dropped me to the ground, where I collapsed into a heap. He told the guard, "I'm not in the mood to do this right now. Be ready for me tomorrow."

The guard nodded and locked the door again.

And I was alone. Again.

My eyes burned. My face felt tender and swollen. My clothes and skin were matted with dirt and grime. My stomach was roaring with hunger, and my throat was parched.

I stretched my legs out and spread myself on the floor. I faded into sleep again.

I was lulled awake by the two male voices speaking outside my cell. I blinked my eyes open. They were standing off to the side, far away from where I was.

"The assassins are hot, don't you think?"

"Yeah. For sure. Though the boss is pretty pissed that they backed out. Thankfully, he's not taking it out on us."

 _What?_ They did? When?

"Dude, I know right? I might just 'accidentally' run into them one day and test my luck. What were their names again?"

"I know one was Reyna, or something, which is a pretty hot name on its own. The other one, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean, you're not sure?"

"Because apparently, she gave Thorn the name Diana, but I overheard Reyna talking to her on the phone about a month or two ago. She called the other assassin Annabeth."

I froze. _What?_ My breathing shallowed. That couldn't be true. She told me she wasn't!

The other guy shrugged. "Annabeth is a unique name, but I like Diana better."

"Meh. I gotta go give Mr. Rich Guy his food. See you later."

I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep. Footsteps sent vibrations through the floor. Something crunched in front of me, and the footsteps started up again. As soon as I stopped hearing them, I opened my eyes.

Before me was a McDonalds' takeout bag. I assumed it was a McChicken sandwich. It smelled like chicken. But I wasn't hungry anymore.

I had asked her, just two days ago, if she was the other assassin. She had given me a definitive no. And I had believed her. Wholly. Completely.

My skin prickled. I didn't want to believe those two men. But what reason would they have to lie?

What if it was a trap? What if Thorn had seen me with her on TV and realized that we were romantically connected? What if he was just doing this so I would feel betrayed and then spill all of my father's secrets?

As much as I wanted to think that, my gut told me no. The guys weren't lying. Annabeth had been hired to kill me.

It all made sense now. No wonder she was found in the explosion site. She was likely plotting with the other assassin. Or maybe against the other assassin. Maybe it was some sort of messed up competition.

Was that why she had ditched me at the Triton gala? Had she been watching me through the eyepiece of a sniper's gun? Maybe the other assassin had, and she simply didn't want to be in the line of fire? Or maybe they were both too busy fighting over who would kill me to actually do it.

I felt like she was sawing me into two. With every realization, every connection, the incision was growing longer, deeper, and at some point, the blade would reach the end and I would fall apart. And I wouldn't be able to pick the pieces back up.

If I lived through my experience in this goddamn jail cell, I would never be able to face her again.

Annabeth had lied straight to my face.

And yes, she had lied to me before, about being an architect, but that was minor. I understood why she did it. I was a stranger to her. She didn't want to scare me off or have me report her to the police. She told me the truth when she felt ready.

But this. She had lied. Straight. To. My. Face. About _me._ About something directly related to my well-being. I knew in my heart that she would never have told me she was hired to kill me, regardless of whether she dropped out or not. And that, I couldn't deal with.

She should have told me the truth. If she had, then I would have been okay with it, because it meant that she trusted me. That she cared for me. And she wasn't going to kill me.

But the fact that she didn't made me suspicious. Why didn't she tell me? The months we spent together, were they really because she was plotting against me? Was the only reason she got close to me so I wouldn't suspect her? Was our first meeting even accidental, or was she actually planning on stabbing me with that pocket knife?

Or was she just too scared to tell me the truth, for fear of my reaction?

I knew, if anything, I should be feeling angry. But I wasn't. Instead, I was sad. Self-loathing. Disappointed, even. I had hung my heart upon my sleeve, and instead of taking it, she had examined it, reached for it, and right before she could fully grab it for herself, she had left. My heart was still hanging.

Whatever her reasons for lying, I couldn't trust her. Not anymore.

* * *

 **Woah. Thank you _so_ much for your reviews! I did not think that it would reach fifty already. :D**

 **These upcoming chapters were the hardest for me to write, because there is so much turmoil and stuff going on. But I also included some key moments that kinda refer back to the books. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on them!**

 **50 Reviews (Guest): I really appreciate your feedback! I put in a couple time skips in this chapter (if you haven't noticed already :D), and I'll definitely try to make chapters switch POVs more often in my shorter upcoming chapters. You had great ideas! Thank you!**

 **I'll update as soon as I can! Thank you again for your reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, so I'm not happy with the way this chapter turned out, because it jumps all over the place and you really can't feel anything, but I didn't want to work on it anymore, so I'll just post it to get it out of the way. It's a pretty short filler chapter that will set the stage for events to come. I was going to combine it with the next chapter, Percy's POV, but it didn't really fit well that way. I will update the next chapter pretty soon though. Maybe tomorrow if I get the time.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are just as much mine as Percy loves Octavian. Meaning they're not mine. At all.**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

Was this a good idea? I hoped so.

I walked up to Percy's door with blue flowers in my hand and tapped my foot rapidly against the floor. I glanced at my watch to check the time. 7:30. Most likely, he would be home by now, but for some reason, I couldn't build up the courage to ring the doorbell.

 _Why?_ , you ask.

I had never been the best at sharing my feelings. For most of my life, I was alone. Independent. Self-sufficient. Once I had finally found friends, it took me a lot of effort to confide in them. I didn't want to open up my shell, probably because I had never done so before.

With Percy, I had gotten off to a terrible start. I was rude to him, I was impatient with him, and I was terribly indecisive. Much of that had to do with me fighting my feelings for him, considering I _was_ hired to kill him. But two days ago, when my secret flew out to the open, I recognized the opportunity for what it was. I could finally have a solid relationship. I could finally stay, permanently, with someone I could trust, someone I could love. I could rebuild my life into something I deeply desired. For once, I could finally be happy.

And to do that, I had to make my feelings for him known. I had to tell him I loved him, and I had to tell him how much he meant to me. Not just show it, like we both undeniably did that other night…

I huffed exasperatedly and slammed my hand against the doorbell. Now or never.

Time slowed to a standstill as I stared at the doorknob, waiting it for it to twitch ever so slightly. Waiting for it to reveal the one person I so desperately wanted to see.

It had already been too long. Puzzled, I rang it again. No response.

Was he in the shower or something? No. He wouldn't be. He usually showered in the mornings. Unless he had gone for a swim or something.

Just to be safe, I rang the doorbell a third time. Nope. Nada. Nothing.

I extracted his keys from inside his compartment and opened the door. Maybe he was out today, at work or on a grocery run. I hoped he wouldn't mind if I waited inside.

The door clicked open, and I walked inside. It smelled like Percy, of the ocean and Febreze. I sniffed longer and deeper. The scent wasn't fresh, so he likely hadn't come home from work yet.

I set the flowers on his table, collapsed onto his couch and switched on my phone. After a couple minutes of updating Piper on Percy's absence, I went to my contacts and called him.

With each successive ring, I grew increasingly anxious. Percy always had his phone on him, unless he was going to the bathroom or something. Was something wrong?

On the last ring, he picked up. But there was a girl's voice on the other end? "Hello?"

"Uh, hi?"

Her voice was sweet. It lilted upwards at the end of every sentence. "Are you Annabeth? Percy's girlfriend?"

"Um, yeah. Hi. Who is this?"

She let out a slight moan. "I'm Hazel, Percy's secretary. I have to tell you something. Something bad has happened."

I sat upright. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

A deep, frustrated breath echoed through the speaker. "He went to the bathroom earlier yesterday morning and didn't come out. His bodyguard went in to see what was going on, and he found an unconscious security guard and a bloody wooden club on the floor. We sent the club to the police for blood analysis, and the guard has woken up, but he doesn't remember anything from yesterday. He doesn't remember seeing Percy. We think he was taken."

"He, what?" The phone slipped out of my hands. Taken?

Shit. Had Atlas given up on dead Percy and taken him alive?

My baby. My poor, poor baby. This was all my fault. How could this happen without me even suspecting? How could I have assumed I had all the time in the world?

I scrambled to pick up my phone again. "I-Thank you for telling me. Is there anything else you know?"

I heard shuffling from the other side. "Nothing. I'm so sorry. I really worried about him, and I know you must be too, but I just don't know where he could have gone!" She seemed on the verge of sobbing.

I probably would have been too, if I wasn't so shocked. I stammered, "It's fine. Thank you. I hope they'll find him soon."

"Me too," Hazel worriedly stated. I hung up.

I rushed out the door, remembering to lock it tightly. I had to get to Leo and Calypso. They would be able to help me. Maybe Leo could trace Thorn's location.

The machine shop door opened with a bang as I barreled through the doorway and called out Leo's name. He frantically ran out of the kitchen, lipstick marks on his face. "What! What? I'm here!"

I paused. "Percy's been kidnapped."

Calypso followed him out the doorway, re-adjusting her shirt. "Really? Oh no! Wait, Leo, can you show her what we found?"

Leo snapped. "Yes. Of course. We were doing some afterhours research just now, you know, before we got distracted, and here."

Leo brought his laptop to me and opened it to a window full of tabs. The one that was currently open was Atlas' Wikipedia.

"So, you know Atlas was partners with this dude named Kronos, right?"

I nodded as Leo clicked the link that led to Kronos' page. "So, turns out this Kronos died mysteriously. His Wikipedia doesn't know why, but I did some deep net-searching and…" He trailed off as he searched for the correct file in his computer. "Here we are. Kronos was killed on a cruise ship. A whole bunch of businessmen died on that same ship, because it was apparently some business meeting thingy between a whole bunch of big shots. The cause of the ship sinking is still unknown. The wreckage hasn't been found because nobody actually knows it exists."

Leo switched back to Google and quickly typed up Percy's name on Google Images. The results yielded a whole bunch of professional photos in which he looked undeniably hot. Then, Leo went back to Kronos' Wikipedia. "So Kronos has three sons. There's Zeus, who owns Olympus Airlines."

"Jason's dad." I bit my lip to hold in my annoyance. What did this have to do with anything?

Leo cocked an eyebrow, but nodded. "There's also Hades, who has a kid: Nico di Angelo. I don't know if you know him, but that's not important."

"Yeah, okay."

Leo looked at me grimly. "There's finally this man. Poseidon. He died that day, along with Kronos." Leo clicked on Poseidon's hyperlink and quickly scrolled down. Then, he researched the same name on Google Images.

An image of a middle-aged man with deep black hair and bright green eyes showed up. The man almost reminded me of Percy, except his face was a completely different shape, and his expression was much less amused.

He dragged the image beside Percy's page, so that they were side by side. Then, Leo dropped his hands to his sides. "He looks familiar, doesn't he?"

I nodded, my mouth slowly falling open. "Wait, so…"

Calypso intervened, "We have reason to believe this man is Percy's father."

My jaw sunk to the floor.

Leo continued, "I mean, all the evidence points to it. They look strangely similar. An old magazine article from '89 shows Poseidon hanging out with a Sally Jackson. Grainy resolution and all. And Poseidon died when Percy was roughly a year old. It all makes sense."

I struggled to come to terms with what I just heard. "So, we've found a connection?"

A smile burst onto Leo's face. "Yeah. We know now how Atlas is connected Percy Jackson. The dude was best friends with his grandfather."

"But what could Atlas have against _Percy_?"

Calypso stated, "We don't have that yet. Leo's been hacking into places here and there, but we haven't found the right info."

I nodded hesitantly. Their new discovery cleared up some of the fog. But there was still no visibility on the road, and we couldn't afford to go five miles an hour. A life was at stake. "Okay."

Leo raised a finger. "We do have a reason for Atlas to be salty at Kronos, though. At one point, Kronos apparently cheated him out of a sum of money that was earned from a joint venture. I don't know if that's the only time, but it's the only thing we've got."

"But if Kronos is dead, then why would Atlas kidnap Percy? It wouldn't be a revenge story then."

Calypso reasoned, "I have a suspicion. I don't know if it's true or not. We don't have the evidence for it, but my father was a powerful man. The fact that the truth behind Kronos and Poseidon's deaths is so unknown is because it's likely been covered up. And I think my father might have done it. I feel like my father might have sabotaged Kronos' ship."

Leo gaped at her. "How come you never told me this before?"

She shrugged. "Maybe because I've just figured it out?"

I knitted my eyebrows. "But it's still the same deal. It doesn't make sense. Why does Atlas want _Percy_ , of all people?"

Calypso ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "I don't know, but we don't have time to find out. We just have to rescue Percy. And we need a plan to do that."

Leo frantically clicked on the mouse, hopping from app to app on his computer. "Okay, so if you call Thorn, I might be able to track where his phone is, so we can find out where he's hiding. Hopefully, Percy's in the same place."

Nodding, I clicked on Thorn's contact. The disposable phone's high, squeaky ringing filled the air the moment I put it on speaker.

That disgusting man's voice protruded from the device. "You'll never find him. That's what you called about, right?"

Leo was furiously typing on his computer. He mouthed the word _stall_ to me and returned to his screen.

I sarcastically stated, "No, I called for a pizza delivery."

Thorn's voice was deep with anger. "I'm not in the mood for this right now."

"Wait-"

"What?" He sounded beyond annoyed.

"I just have one question."

He sneered, "What is it?"

"Why do you want to kill him? What's your purpose in doing this?"

He sounded miffed. "I don't have to explain anything to you."

"Do you even have a purpose? Or are you just doing this to suck up to Atlas?"

"How do you know his name?"

"If you won't disclose your methods, why should I?"

Leo tapped my arm and gave me a thumbs up. He had a location. But I wasn't done talking yet.

Thorn was, though. He muttered, "F*** you," and hung up.

I slammed the phone onto the counter and crumbled it to shards between my fingers. The edges were painful, but I didn't care.

Thorn had Percy. The love of my life was trapped in who knows where for no fault of his own. Who knew what Atlas had done to him? Was he even still alive?

I shuddered with fear as an image of Percy, bloody and bruised, settled into my mind. I shoved it out. If I wanted to rescue him, I couldn't afford to think like that. My mind had to be clear and focused. I had to have hope.

Calypso touched my shoulder. "Annabeth? He'll be okay. We'll save him."

My lip trembled as I nodded. Leo turned his laptop screen around to show me a satellite view of a drab gray building. He pointed at the screen. "This is where the signal was traced to. I'll need a day to confirm whether he really is in there, or if it's just a decoy. I'll close the shop tomorrow too so I can work on this, and I'll let you know by noon guaranteed."

I nodded again. By noon tomorrow, Percy could be beaten, bruised, or broken, if not dead. If I wanted to save him, I couldn't afford to wait that long.

Calypso eyed me. "Annabeth, I know that look. Be patient. We'll get him in time."

I nodded again, but it was insincere. Leo and Calypso kept talking to me, trying to reason out a plan of action, but I wasn't listening. Screw patience. Screw planning. I needed him back. _Now._ I didn't think I could last another second without knowing whether he was safe or not.

I drove home later that night, preparing to run in, pack up my weapons, and run immediately out.

 _I'll be there soon, Seaweed Brain. I love you. I'm coming for you. Don't leave me._

 _Not now._

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!** **Can we try to get this to my original goal of 100 reviews by the end of the story?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Longer chapter, as promised! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Rick Riordan, speaking of which, I may have taken a page out of his book. Keep reading! :D**

* * *

 **Percy**

Time had become fluid. Minutes fled into hours. Hours felt like days. And days… man. I didn't know how many days I had been stuck in that hellhole. It could have been one. It could have been a hundred.

Either way, I was hating every second of it.

I got food once or twice, which, of course, wasn't enough to keep my stomach from devouring me with its growls. They also left me alone, for the most part, save for the occasional guard who stationed himself in front of my cell. All I had the liberty to do was stare, think, and sleep.

And that wasn't helping me _at all_.

I wanted to get distracted. I wanted to think about something different for a change. Something other than Annabeth's betrayal.

I had fallen in love with her. Not just her looks. But her character. Everything about her seemed to be just perfect. I mean, of course she had her flaws, but there was nothing that was a major turn-off. In fact, even her 'bad' characteristics had made me want to push her into bed and kiss her until she couldn't handle it anymore.

When she told me she was an assassin, I was weirdly okay with it. I mean, not okay with her profession, but okay with her story. She had seemed the victim to the world's cruelty. She hadn't been blessed with the family I had or the situation that I had. Most importantly, she seemed to want to change. And that was what had resonated with me. The regret she felt, the horror she had towards her actions, the desire to dump her old self in a sewer and move on with her life, it all was so very real to me. It showed me that she wasn't a bad person. She was just lost. She needed guidance. And I could help her through that maze of emotions that threatened to collapse onto her.

Overall, it didn't bother me that she lied at first. It bothered me that she lied to me _afterward_. Why hadn't she told me about it that night? What reason did she have to hide the job from me?

I still loved her to death. I just couldn't trust her anymore. And considering a relationship was based off of mutual trust, I couldn't keep anything going with her. I couldn't stay with somebody I couldn't trust.

I stretched my legs across the floor, relishing how it pulled at my muscles. Even _I_ could see how the imprisonment affected my body. I felt weak, unable to move. My limbs felt like Jello, wobbling every time I tried to put pressure on them. My head was constantly throbbing and my jaw hurt like Hades. My arms got periodically numb from being chained behind my back for so long, unused and unexercised.

It was the worst pain I had been in for a long time. The last time something like this happened was… with Gabe. And that was over fifteen years ago.

I leaned against the back wall and exhaled sharply. Why did this have to happen _now_? Why did this have to happen, period? What had I done to anger the gods this much?

I rested my eyes upon the jail cell across from me. Maybe if I stared hard enough, somebody would appear in there, and then I would have some actual source of amusement.

A shadowy figure intercepted my view. A gruff voice commanded, "You're coming with me. Now."

My gravelly voice was slow to respond. "Uh, wha…?"

The man furiously slammed the cell door open and pulled me up by my collar. Once I had a proper footing on the floor, he grabbed me by the arm and tried pulling me out the door. My chains stretched to their max with a resounding "chink", and the guard cursed. Fumbling through his pocket, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and secured my hands. Then, he pulled out another pair of keys and unlocked the chains surrounding my wrists.

This was my chance. All I had to do was immobilize this guy, and I could roam free. Of course, getting lost in the building was an issue, but I could figure that out as I went.

With a newfound conviction, I roundhouse-kicked the guard in the head. He collapsed to the ground in pain, and I scampered out the door.

I glanced to my left and my right. At both of my sides, five men clothed in security uniforms were running towards me, pointing their guns. The only thing that was in front of me was the other cell.

 _Dammit._ I thought. _Maybe I should actually_ plan _next time._

Fearfully, I ran to my right and barreled through the first two guards. A shot rang out through the hallway. I ducked, and a bullet landed in the shoulder of a guard to my right. A loud "Shit!" echoed through the hall as I kneed one of the two remaining in the stomach. The other guard grasped my cuffed wrists as I struggled to get past.

He snarled, "You're not getting away, jerkwad."

I kicked wildly and swung my arms as far as I could. "Watch me," I grunted.

The second guard had recovered by that time, and he grabbed me by the legs. I shouted in anger as they cuffed my ankles together and tied me to to prevent my escape. All the fighting and yelling did me no good, however, because they wrapped me like a sandwich and lugged me through the halls like a sack of potatoes.

I clenched my teeth against my gag in anger as they dragged me into darkness. The dark cement floors slowly transitioned into deep purple carpet, which in turn transformed into sparkling black tile. The room itself was darker than my prison cell, but I could sense a gathering of light coming from my right. I tried to turn my head to see whether it was an exit, but the guard behind me grabbed my face and pivoted it around.

He spat, "You do _not_ look at the boss unless he allows you to."

The boss? Were they taking me to see my grandfather's business partner?

With a thud, the guards dropped me onto the cold, hard tile. A jolt of pain rocketed through my shoulder as I landed on it. A buzzing feeling spread through my arm, and within seconds, it went numb. Great. Just great.

A guard held me tight as the other chained me to the wall. If I had been focused, I may have been able to break free again. But my attention was somewhere else.

The man in front of me looked old. At least sixty, easy. He had coppery skin and broad features. His face was rectangular, with a wide, set jaw and creases that only made him look more threatening. A pernicious smile flickered across his lips, and a set of stone grey eyes bored into me with a cold, proud glare. His silver hair was peppered with black patches, so much so that his hair might have been a chessboard, but it all was slicked back with gallons of hair gel. He was dressed smartly, in a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath, but he filled his suit to the brim. His chest and shoulders were larger than I had ever seen. His hands were easily the size of tennis rackets. He was seated upon a throne of sorts, which rested on a dais twenty feet in front of me.

His voice rumbled through the room, and I swear, the floor started vibrating from its depth and power. "Perseus Jackson."

I tried to sound half-hearted as I stated, "Yup. That's me," though I'm sure I actually looked paralyzed. I _felt_ paralyzed. My body refused to shift an inch.

A guard fisted me in the stomach, probably because of my lack of 'respect.' I groaned.

His low chuckle inundated every corner of the room. "It's alright. Let him be. I could use a little spunk in this boring place."

His gaze settled on my arms, which were chained to the wall far from my body, as if I were a really lame version of Jesus **(A/N: I hope this doesn't offend anyone!)**. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here."

I stayed silent. He nodded in approval. "Your company has been, I must say, a major disturbance in Dr. Thorn and my corporate advances. Everywhere we look, your company has laid claim to the land, quoting that it's 'protecting' nature. What you fail to understand is that this world could be used for so much more. Your beloved _oceans_ can be used for so. Much. More."

I fake-yawned. "Skip past this lecture. I already heard it from Thorn."

The man's expression was unchanging. "Every method we have embarked upon, you have thwarted. Remember Kelli?"

I gasped. That woman had tried to seduce me into giving her the company. Thankfully, I had caught myself just in time. That was this man's doing?

His smirk widened. "Yes. And before that, it was Tammi, who tried to buy a plot of land from you. We tried bribery, seduction, even honest interactions, businessman to businessman. After years, we were forced to threaten you. Your tomfoolery was getting out of hand."

I raised an eyebrow. "Tomfoolery?"

He ignored me and went on. "Your idiotic self didn't realize how serious we were. You pranced around in your little penguin shoes, dodging bullets and slipping punches. But you only delayed the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before we realized how to properly pull you into our grasp."

I snarled, "What do you want from me?"

"Why, I thought you were smart! Your company, of course."

But it didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. If he wanted my company, then he should have killed me in that jail cell. Then Thorn wouldn't have asked for my father.

"Liar."

His eyes sparkled. "So you're not as dumb as I thought. Tell me. What do you think my motivations are?"

"You want my dad. Because he's the only one who has evidence for what you did to that ship."

He clapped lightly. "You've got a third of the story. A little less than halfway there. Maybe knocking some sense into you will make you realize the rest."

I tilted my head. "Wha-?"

A guard turned me around, so I was facing the wall. Another ripped my shirt off. Before I could figure out what was going on, a searing pain immobilized my back. I screamed in anguish. Panting, I glanced to my side. A guard simply smiled at me, hand wrapped around a bloody whip.

My back stung as the air danced across the wound, inviting the blood to escape and perform a salsa with it. A sudden spasm smashed over me, and I groaned in agony. My torso clenched and unclenched, hoping it would relieve the pain, but it didn't. Liquid trickled down my back, but I wasn't sure if it was sweat or blood.

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want from me? I don't know where my father is."

I couldn't see the man, but I could hear the mirth in his voice. "Oh, I know."

"Am I bait?"

"Good guess." He didn't elaborate.

Another wave of pain crashed over my body as the guard flung the whip again. I yelled in agony. My hands struggled against their binds as I tried to get out of my chains. Wisps of pain induced chills along my body, causing me to shiver. I blinked tears out of my eyes. "If I'm just bait, then why hurt me?"

A rumbling chuckle echoed from behind me. "You've caused me way too much difficulty for me to let you go easy. You're only getting what you deserve."

"Who are you to judge what I deserve? You're not a god," I spattered.

"No? I have the power, the fame, and I am widely feared. How am I _not_ a god?"

Another lash. I fell against the wall, tired and in pain. "You're not immortal. I can kill you."

He laughed harder. Deeper. As if his whole chest was quaking with it. "Wow. You sure have spirit, talking to me like that while chained to a wall. How do you suppose you'll do it?"

I weakly yelped as the whip hit me again, this time on my lower back. I pressed my cheek against the wall. Saliva and tears dripped from my chin. "Why should I tell you?"

A silence ensued. I tensed my shoulders, bracing myself for another lashing.

Instead, a shout of frustration erupted from my right. A furious _meow_ projected through the room as an orange and white tabby cat launched itself at the guard with the whip. It scratched at the man's pants, taking away a huge chunk of cloth. Then, it latched itself onto the guard's leg. Blood started dripping from newly-formed scratches.

"Gah!" the guard yelled. He swung his leg wildly from side to side. Another incredibly stupid guard shot at the cat with his gun, forgetting that his comrade was attached to it. The cat-guard dodged the bullet, but the feline was still wildly scratching at his leg.

With one dramatic kick, he launched the cat from his leg into the dark hallway. It didn't come back.

Atlas gave out an exasperated sigh. "Go to the infirmary, Prometheus. Kampê will take charge."

With an exaggerated eye roll, the previous guard set down his whip and left. A female guard picked it up in his stead.

"Why don't you go for a warm-up round?" Atlas suggested.

The lady's mask shifted, and I could tell she was smiling. "Definitely."

She smacked me with the whip _much_ harder than the previous guy had done. I yelled so loudly that the crows outside cawed and flapped away. The flames of pain intensified, snaking through my back mercilessly. My body felt like it was dissolving away, into the unforgiving currents of the wind. I grunted like a feral animal, trying to regain my composure. My eyes squeezed shut.

Suddenly, I was underwater.

The surface of the pool glittered under the evening light. My hair floated in tufts above my head. The water felt silky and cool against my skin as I settled into a sitting position at the pool's bottom.

Confused, I grabbed at my throat. I shouldn't have been able to breathe, yet it felt like I was above ground. I was breathing water like it was fresh air.

I opened my mouth and breathed outward. A bubble formed from my lips and floated away. Smiling, I blew a raspberry into the water. Thousands of tiny rainbow pearls flitted about in the pool, giggling as they escaped upward. I followed their path with my eyes, my gaze darting back and forth with their movements. Once they reached the surface, they fizzed lightly and scattered, like a carbonated drink.

The surface of the pool shimmered. Blurry, frothy water soon dissolved into an image, clear as day.

Her golden hair was tucked into a blue Yankees cap, likely her mother's. The shadow of a smile danced across her lips as her grey eyes searched for something in the water. She kneeled down on the poolside, her hands resting on her knees. Cotton-candy-pink lips mouthed something unintelligible.

I untwined my legs and stood up in the pool. My head was still a good five feet below the surface.

Annabeth's voice was clearer now. "Hold on, Seaweed Brain. You're not getting away from me that easily."

Her eyes brightened when her gaze focused on me. She held out her hand. Her mouth was stretched tightly, as if she were stifling a bout of laughter. "You are _such_ an idiot sometimes. Come on. Take my hand."

She wiggled her fingers. A smile spread across my mouth. I pushed myself up from the pool floor and rocketed to the surface.

As soon as my hand touched hers, reality fell upon me like a bucket of freezing water. I gasped. The flames licking across my back had seemingly been put out. I felt rejuvenated. Reborn, almost.

I blinked my eyes. Once. Twice. Annabeth wasn't here. Yet it had seemed so real.

When the next lash came, the memory of Annabeth gave me strength. It fed my anger. It strengthened my resolve. It bolstered my courage.

I clenched my wrists and tightened my jaw. I could do this. I wouldn't faint. I would power through this torment for as long as I could. I would live past this to show Annabeth how much she meant to me. How much her betrayal had hurt me.

Kampê kept whacking me with the lash, yet I refused to let it get to me. I never once cried out. My back was overwhelmed with pain, and I couldn't move my torso at all, but I stifled my spasms and cries of agony. I would stay strong. I would endure this pain. They couldn't do anything to me.

In a relieving move, Atlas commanded Kampe to stop. She bowed her head - or heads (my vision was getting really blurry) - and left. I heaved a dramatic sigh, which sent daggers through my lungs. Tears were streaming down my face the same way blood was streaming down my back. I couldn't bear to move my body, for fear of additional pain.

A guard unchained me from the wall, and I immediately collapsed into his arms. He lifted me by the armpits and dragged me to my cell as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Wordlessly, he laid me down on the floor of the cell.

The guard removed my shackles and all of the ropes hanging from my wrists. Then, he chained my hands to either wall of the cell, so that I could move normally, but I couldn't escape the cell. Slowly, he wiped the wetness and blood from my face. He worked his way down to my neck and shoulders, where he wiped around my wounds. It stung, but it felt like heaven compared to what I had been through earlier today.

When he stepped away, I blinked rapidly, trying to memorize his face. This guard had easily given me the best treatment I had received during my kidnapping. My vision was blurry, though. All I could see were blobs of peach and black. I deliriously mumbled my gratitude, but I couldn't properly voice it.

He took a long look at me, then left.

I immediately recalled my memory of Annabeth. In that fleeting moment, Annabeth had been my lifeline. She had saved me from drowning in the pain the guards had delivered. But what did that mean? How did it play a part in my life?

It hurt to think about, so I lay there on my stomach for hours, struggling to go to sleep. But the pain of my whippings tormented me beyond compare. My back was in constant pain. Any attempt I made to relax was quickly destroyed by my idiotic behind.

At one point, I _nearly_ fell asleep. However, a clattering sound, along with grunts and shuffling, woke me up. I didn't bother to see what was happening. My sleep was more important.

However, half an hour later, I gave up. My sleep was spoilt. I might as well check to see what had happened earlier.

I turned my head to see, and I stiffened.

 _No way._

* * *

 **I may not have mastered the art of the cliffhanger as well as Rick Riordan has, but I still wanted to try putting one in. :D**

 **Please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**The next couple chapters are going to be on the shorter side. Sorry about that! Warning: the climax is in chapter 21. :D**

 **Disclaimer: I, a long-term sufferer, do not own the rights to these characters. They're all Rick's.**

 **Annabeth**

I had always shoved my emotions aside to favor reason. Brains would always get you out of a situation. Trickery. Manipulation. Strategy. Emotions, on the other hand, didn't have as high a success rate. What could emotions help you solve that logic couldn't?

But I stopped caring about that the moment I hear Percy had been taken. Screw logic. Screw reason. Screw a plan. I was going to get Percy out of there, and I didn't care how.

Anger and determination coursed through my nerves as I stepped out of the car, armed to the teeth. I drew my knife and faced the building.

It was a dark gray, monochromatic structure. There was nothing spectacular about it. Its paint was fading, its cement was peeling, and its door was rusted. No letters or symbols adorned the outside of the warehouse. It was simply boring.

Which is what made it such an amazing base. Nobody would suspect that a filthy rich businessman would torture an innocent lifesaver in a building like this. And even if they did, this land was his property. If they dared to trespass, there was no way they would make it out alive.

I tugged at the metal door. It was locked. That wasn't an issue. I slipped out my pocket knife and did my thing with it. The door swung open.

It led into a hallway, which I remembered from looking at a blueprint with Leo and Calypso. Slowly, silently, but purposefully, I tiptoed through the the corridor, keeping my ears wide open in case somebody traipsed my way. I followed the pull of my instincts and my vague memory of the building's layout.

Within minutes, I found myself in front of the control room door. Under the handle was a keypad, its numbers radiating with a threatening yellow light.

I whipped out my heat-sensing device. The previous person had entered a six-one-nine-three, in that order. I tugged on my gloves, paying careful attention to my surroundings, and traced the passcode with my pinkie. The door clicked. The small light on the handle turned green.

Before I could take another step, voices raised the hairs on my arm. One female, one male. Their footsteps echoed along the hallway beside me.

I slipped behind a pillar and willed myself to stay still.

"- in really bad condition. You shouldn't have done fifteen."

A hissing female voice. "He deserved it."

"Did he really? We're going to do more later, so why -"

Their voices faded into the silent hallway.

A rock formed in my throat. Were they talking about Percy? Were they talking about how they had tortured my beautiful Seaweed Brain?

Fury lit up my veins. I had to do this. Now. Percy had to be rescued.

I stepped back to the door and drew my dart gun. There were likely going to be at least five security guards in the control room. I would have to be quick and agile, and prick them before they even noticed I was there.

I slowly pressed the handle and cracked the door open. I shot a dart at the first figure I saw, and I slid inside the door.

My eyes were not ready for the sight I saw. Six security guards lay unconscious on the ground, scattered across the room. The man I shot at had somehow caught the dart between his thumb and forefinger. He was also sitting in a wheelchair.

The man he was with, I recognized immediately. It was the man who I had thought was dead, who I had just recently discovered fathered the love of my life. It was Poseidon.

Both were staring at me, saucer-eyed and stunned.

My mouth fell open.

The man in the wheelchair sounded baffled. "Annabeth?"

My eyes widened. I aimed my dart gun at his neck. "How do you know my name?"

The man dropped the dart he was holding into his wheelchair's cup holder. "Come here. Put down the gun. I promise I won't hurt you. I'm not dangerous."

I eyed him suspiciously, but did not lower my gun. He sighed. "You truly are your mother's daughter."

I stiffened. "What are you saying?"

"Put the gun down, and then we'll talk."

My eyes flicked from one man to the other, daring them to attack me, as I cautiously placed my gun back in its holster.

The man in the wheelchair started talking. "My name is Chiron. I was an old friend of your mother's, as well as Poseidon's. Your mother tasked me with keeping an eye on you before she died. So far, I have obliged."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So you've been _watching_ me?"

He nodded stiffly. "I'm afraid we'll have to speed this conversation up. We _are_ on enemy territory. But yes. I have paid much attention to your actions. I know what you have done and what you plan to do. However, the same cannot be said of Poseidon."

Poseidon seemed genuinely confused. "True that. Who the heck are you?"

Chiron looked at me expectantly. I stammered, "Uh, I'm one of Percy's friends." My voice caught at that last word. He meant so much more to me than a friend.

Chiron's eyes twinkled. "All you need to know is that we're all on the same team, Poseidon."

"How are you _alive_?" I blurted.

Poseidon shook his head. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later, if we survive. But you look strangely familiar…"

Chiron intervened. "She's Athena's child."

Poseidon gasped, "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I hardly knew her, though. She died when I was young. Why? Did you know her?"

Poseidon twiddled his fingers. "Yeah. Let's just say we weren't on the best of terms."

Chiron waved us off. "None of this is important. What is important is that we rescue Percy before- " He stuttered to a stop. His eyes were fixated on something right behind me.

I turned. Standing before me was a huge, towering man with the eyes of a panther and a fox's smirk. He looked like the villain edition of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I recognized him from his Wikipedia pictures. Atlas.

Snarling, I launched myself at him. Evidently, he didn't realize I was so suicidal. Surprise marked his ridged face as I punched him and shoved him out of the doorway.

Fiery red clouded my vision as I skewered him with additional punches, but none of them even made him teeter. He crossed his arms. "Are you done yet?"

I pulled a hand grenade out of my fanny pack. "Not yet."

Before I could uncap it, Atlas grabbed my wrist and twisted. His grip was iron. I yelled in anguish as he forced me to drop the weapon and pinned my wrist behind my back.

I looked around frantically. Poseidon and Chiron were gone. They must have taken advantage of my distraction and escaped.

Great. So much for watching my every move.

Atlas called upon some of his guards. "Take her. Keep her in a separate cell from our current prisoner."

The female with the hissy voice affirmed, "Yes, sir." The other guard just stood awkwardly, saluting to Atlas. With a wave of his hand, Atlas dismissed the both of them.

The masked guard wrested my arms from Atlas's grip and cuffed them behind my back. She wrapped a rope around my wrists that connected me to each of the guards. Then, she stripped me of all of my weapons and gave them to the male for safe-keeping. I kicked and flailed, but the guards tied my knees together and shoved me down the hallway.

As I waddled, I felt a prickle on the nape of my neck, like someone was watching me. I turned around. A pair of sea-green eyes stared back at me.

Poseidon lifted his hand. Wrapped within his fingers was my knife. Luke's knife. Somehow, he had taken it from me before the guards could confiscate it.

He nodded at me and mouthed, _I'll be back._ When I blinked, he was gone.

I turned back around, pretending I hadn't seen him. Clenching my teeth, I strained against my binds, but the guards only tightened their grip on me. Within seconds, they had flung me into an empty jail cell and shut the door with a clang.

I wiped my bound hands on my pants to dust them off. Leaning against the side of the cell, I started formulating a plan in my head.

A sudden movement from the cell across caught my attention. At the sight of dirty skin, I almost sobbed.

His back was raw, bloody, and absolutely grotesque. Shallow, wheezing breaths racked his body, inflating and deflating his bare torso. His work pants were ripped, splotches of brown and crimson matting the black fabric. The back of his head faced me as his scruff of dirty black hair shifted in the air-conditioner breeze. He seemed to be sleeping.

A low whine escaped my mouth. I crawled to the door to get a closer look. What had they done to my beautiful boy?

This was all my fault. I had done this to him. I had brought him such a torturous, painful fate. Why couldn't I just refuse the offer the day Thorn came to me? Why didn't I just kill Thorn when I first saw him? Why hadn't I taken strides to protect Percy in the first place?

Why was I so. F***ing. Stupid.

The tears came too quickly. They flooded down my cheeks as I cursed myself, cursed Thorn, cursed Atlas, for doing this to Percy. He deserved so much more than this. And here he was, stuck in an abandoned warehouse, suffering beatings and lashings and who knew what else he had endured. If anyone, _I_ deserved this fate. _I_ was the one who deserved to suffer. _I_ should have been the one condemned to die.

Frantically, I wiped my tears away with my shirt. I couldn't risk a guard seeing me like this. I couldn't risk _Percy_ seeing me like this. I had to stay strong, make a plan, and I had to get him of here.

I glanced back at his shuddering silhouette. The poor boy had gone through so much pain. I couldn't bear to see him this so helpless, so weak, so broken.

Suddenly, he shifted, startling me and gluing me to the wall. He quaked with pain as he lifted himself up slightly and moved his head to face my cell. His green eyes were dull and lifeless.

And then he saw me.

* * *

 **Hi guys! Thank you for reading! I would really appreciate if you could review as much as you can, and let me know what you think of the story. Any pointers or anything, feel free to let me know. I'm always striving to make my writing better.**

 **Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and what you think will happen next!**


	19. Chapter 19

**It's pretty late here, and I really should be sleeping, but I'm way too lazy to. Oh well. Here's another chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are owned by Rick Riordan, not me.**

* * *

 **Percy**

No way. No. Freaking. Way.

Was I dreaming?

Was she really there, right in front of me?

Had she really been captured by Atlas?

I blinked my eyes. Once. Twice.

Yup. It was her. And shoot. She was staring right back at me.

Rapidly, I turned my head away from her.

"Percy?" she asked hopefully. She sounded just as beautiful as ever. Gods, I missed her the music of her voice.

I squeezed my eyes shut and refused to reply.

She called my name again, louder and a bit more scared. Good. Let her feel scared.

Immediately, I felt bad for thinking that. My emotions were in turmoil. I hated what she did to me. I hated how she lied to me and trampled all over my heart. And yet I still loved her. Maybe even more than I used to, if that was possible. I wanted nothing more than to reach out to her and fall into her arms, but I knew I shouldn't. I didn't know when she would stab me in the back again.

"Percy, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I scoffed. She could see my back. She should be able to tell whether I was okay or not.

"Percy?"

It hurt me so much to ignore her like I did. But I couldn't talk to her. Not after what she did to me.

After a couple more attempts, she lulled herself into silence. I didn't dare look back at her until I heard light snores echo through the hallway.

She looked like an angel. Her honey-blonde hair was wild and messy, dirt inching its way into the strands. Blood matted her arms and sweat glistened on her cheeks. Black mascara marks tainted the area under her eyes, and her chapped, pink lips were set slightly open as she breathed in and out in her sleep. Ripped-jean-clad legs were partially crossed as she leaned against the wall, eyes closed and hands clasped. Her wrists were bound in the same way mine were now, chains wrapped around them and attached to opposite ends of the wall.

How could I think this beautiful girl was capable murdering me? The concern in her voice was unmistakable. I knew she loved me, that she cared about me, and she only wanted the best for me. Maybe that's why she didn't tell me. Maybe it was because she didn't want to distract me from my job or worry about the threat of the assassins.

Groaning, I buried my head in my arms. I was _captured_ , hurt, and maybe even dying, yet the only thing I could think about was my love for a girl who had lied and tried to kill me?

Yup. Sounds about right.

And the more I thought about it, the more reasons I found to acquit Annabeth of her lies. The more I scolded myself for loving a girl I couldn't trust.

* * *

I ignored her for what seemed like eternity. Sometimes she slept. Sometimes I slept. Sometimes we both just stared at nothing in silence. But the silence wasn't awkward. It was heart-wrenching. So when she called my name again, hoping for an answer from me, I found myself replying.

"What do you want?"

She looked hurt when I said that. No surprise there. "What's wrong? Why are you mad at me?"

I turned my head to face her. Forcing myself to harden my gaze. "Why do you think?"

Her eyebrows knitted. "I don't… I don't know."

I closed my eyes. "You lied to me, Annabeth. You lied straight to my face. You told me you _weren't_ hired to kill me."

Her mouth opened slightly. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Percy, I-"

"Maybe if you had told me of your own free will, it would've been okay. I would have forgiven you. But you didn't. Were you ever planning on telling me?"

Her lower lip trembled. "I was! I just didn't know _how._ "

I raised my eyebrow. "A simple 'hey, I'm supposed to kill you' would suffice."

Her voice faded into a whisper. "No, I-I was too scared. I didn't want you to hate me. I didn't want you to think that our relationship was a fluke."

"Was it?"

"No! It wasn't! I loved you, Percy. I still do. I love you to death, and I don't think I'll be able to live without you -"

I turned away. My voice broke as I said, "You'll have to, though."

"What?"

The words fought to remain in my throat. "I can't trust you anymore. I can't be in a relationship with someone I can't trust."

The truth of my words dawned upon us both in the seconds that followed. She and I were no more. I wouldn't see her. She wouldn't see me. We would live our lives far apart, oceans away, back to how it was before we met. We would be erased from each other's lives forever.

She sat in silence for a long time before stammering, "I guess that's… fair."

I could feel her gaze on my back, on the nape of my neck, But I refused to turn around. I was done. I couldn't say another word to her without breaking into a torrent of tears.

Annabeth started sniffling. Whimpering. "I'm so sorry. I know I betrayed your trust. I know that I was a complete idiot. I should have told you. Now do you see why you deserve better than me? I've lived my whole life lying, stealing, and manipulating. You're the exact opposite. You're the kindest, most moral, most incredible person I've met and I-"

Sobs racked through her body, and she dropped her face into her hands. My heart twisted like a wet towel, all of its moisture slowly being squeezed out. The pain in my chest intensified to a slow sear.

Why couldn't I just run to her and wrap her in my arms? Why couldn't I just run my hands through her hair and hug her and whisper to her how everything would be okay even though it wasn't going to be? Why was life so freaking unfair?

All I wanted was to love her. To show her how special she was. That's all it ever took to make me feel happier. Braver. I felt like I could do anything in the world if she was there with me.

But she had _hurt_ me. And I knew she didn't mean to, but a constant voice in my head kept whispering, _what if she does it again? What if she hurts me even more than this time?_

And even if she didn't hurt me anymore, I would hurt her. I would be a constant reminder of her past as an assassin. Everywhere she went, I would haunt her with my existence. She wouldn't be able to forget how she used to be a cold-blooded killer.

I wanted nothing more than to keep us together, but we would both would be better off apart.

Suddenly, footsteps pounded through the hall. Two guards yanked Annabeth's cell open, cuffed her, gagged her. They towed her unmoving form through the door on the left as I screamed out her name, willing her to stay safe, though there was no guarantee of that.

The door slammed shut like a slap to the face.

The sound of my panting and wheezing filled the room. Saliva dripped from my lips as I groaned in despair and pounded my too-weak arms against the floor. What were they going to do to her? Were they going to whip her like they did to me? Would they torture her in retribution for refusing to kill me?

She was going into a room filled with cruel, middle-aged men. Would they - oh gods - would they go so far as to _rape_ her?

I yelled into the ground, releasing all of my anger and frustration. Screw it if someone else heard me. I didn't care.

A _meow_ startled me from my bouts of yelling. Was that… a cat?

 _Mew._ A white and orange kitten crawled into my cell, purring in sleepiness. I gasped in recognition. It was the same cat from before, who attacked the guard during my whipping.

It lumbered around my cell for a couple laps, before settling right in front of my nose. It's brilliant yellow eyes gazed into mine as it sat with a resounding _meow._

"Wha- ?" I mumbled. My fingers crawled up from my sides to run along the cat's fuzzy back. With every stroke, the cat purred louder. If it wasn't just my imagination, I would say that its purrs shook the entire room.

My eyes caught on a band of leather wrapped around the cat's neck.

"A collar?" I said aloud to the cat. "Huh. You must have an owner."

My fingers fumbled with the collar as I pushed its fur aside. A small coin dangling from the leather read, "Small Bob."

My fingers retreated to the scruff of its neck, where the cat shamelessly let me scratch. "Hi, Small Bob. I'm assuming you're a boy. Who's your owner?"

The cat did not reply. Its eyes drooped closed. It started licking its paws, wiping the guard's blood off of its sharp claws.

Weaving my fingers through those fluffy hairs, I buried my Annabeth-related worries into the depths of Small Bob's fur. My head slumped into the crook of my elbow, prompting Small Bob to nuzzle into my neck. Just like that, I finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

I woke up to a guard rapidly snapping in front of my face.

"Buh, wha-?" I mumbled. A small snort and a familiar voice. "Percy. Mr. Jackson. Big boss man."

My eyes whipped open. Was it really… "Ethan?"

Ethan was clad in a guard uniform, similar to the getups all of my torturers wore. He was leaning into the bars of my cell, his fingers held up above my head. He wore an… eyepatch? What happened there?

The smile disappeared from his face as he saw what I was looking at. "About the eyepatch, don't ask."

The other guard suddenly turned around as well. A pair of deep brown eyes twinkled at me as he pulled his mask down to show his face.

Chris knelt down before me and smiled. He whispered underneath his breath, "We have to be careful. Ethan and I snuck in. We've got a plan to rescue you. Don't worry. Just pull through and don't acknowledge us, no matter what."

Ethan picked up my hand and grasped it tightly. "Never lose hope, Percy."

In my groggy state, I nodded absently. Ethan abruptly let go of my hand. He and Chris stood up swiftly and left, bodies stiffer than tree trunks. Their impassive faces failed to reveal what they had just done.

After minutes of dazedly wondering what just happened, excitement filled my veins. Was I seriously going to get out of here? Would Thorn and his boss finally get caught? Would Annabeth and I finally be safe?

With a grunt and a great deal of pain, I managed to sit up. Having rested myself onto my butt, I examined my arms and legs. Both limbs were caked with blood - likely the residue from Kampe's lashes - and sweat. The slightest of movements triggered an intense ache that rapidly spread throughout my body. My arms and thighs had become visibly thinner, though it was nothing irreversible.

I leaned against the back wall of my cell, filled with a new sense of energy. Shocks of pain still darted through my back whenever I tried to move it, but I ignored them. Even my worry for Annabeth slightly faded away.

All that mattered was that we would soon be free.

* * *

 **Can you guys do me a favor? If you want, can you review the story and let me know what your favorite part of the story is and what your least favorite part is? It'll help me improve the story for the upcoming chapters, and it'll let me know what I should/shouldn't change. You can write about anything, whether it's plot details, or the way I write the chapters, or whatever you feel like saying. I would really appreciate it if you could do this for me!**

 **Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They're all owned by Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

I should've known.

I should've known. I should've known. I should've known. I should've known. I should've known. I should've known that life would do this to me. I should've known I was asking for it. I should've known that my procrastinating self would somehow get her butt kicked for not telling Percy the whole truth.

So I didn't fight when they came for me.

I deserved everything that was coming my way. I would face it, whether I wanted to or not, because _that_ was what I had brought upon myself. Everything that was happening here was _my_ fault.

I didn't bother to wipe my tears as the guards threw me at Atlas' feet and ripped off my gag. I didn't bother to look at him. I didn't bother to move.

His imposing voice thundered through the room. "He has a good reason for hating you."

"I know," I muttered self-loathingly.

"Look up," he ordered.

I kept glaring at the floor.

"Look. Up." His voice was edged with steel.

I ignored him. With a sudden yank, a guard forcefully lifted my chin and slapped me in the face. It stung, but not nearly as much as Percy's reaction to my betrayal.

Atlas's expression was smug. My jaw tightened in fury. He stroked his cheeks nonchalantly as he asked, "Why didn't you kill him?"

I pressed my lips together in silence. He continued, "The money we offered you was enough to give you a new life. The new start that you so desperately wanted. So it's curious to me why you didn't try to kill him."

I looked away. "Wouldn't _you_ want to know."

"I do want to know. That's exactly why I asked."

I shook my head. "You wouldn't understand it, anyway. Men like you only care about the power. The money. What do you know about goodwill? Morals?"

Atlas picked at his fingernails, making me all the more angry. "I know that they don't exist. That they're just a trick of the mind."

I scoffed. "You're wrong."

Atlas just shrugged. "If you say so. I have enough experience with my daughters to know that you young ones don't listen to anybody else."

"I doubt you actually treated them like daughters."

Atlas tilted his head. "Guards, gag her."

They obliged. I didn't struggle. _You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve it all._

Atlas rhythmically tapped his fingers against the arm of his throne. "For your information, the only reason we're holding you here is so you don't go ratting to the police, and that can be done in more ways than one. We're wasting precious money and resources by holding you here. If I weren't as merciful as I am, I would have killed you by now, but instead, I'll spare you. I'll let my guards have their way with you."

Guards have their way with me… oh no. Were they going to… shit. And I couldn't even properly fight back, considering I was wrapped up like a gift box!

I strained against my binds, but they wouldn't budge. When the guards picked me up by the arms, I flailed and kicked and whacked the air, but to no avail. They only tightened their hands around me.

Once we disappeared from Atlas' sight, the guards slackened their grip. They pulled me to the side.

I bit my lip so hard that it hurt. Was this where they were going to ruin me?

To my surprise, one of them pulled his face-mask down, revealing a gnarly eye patch. He released me from his grasp and ran his hand through his black hair. "Calm down. We're friends of Percy, and we're going to get you two out of here. Not yet, but as soon as we can. Stay patient."

Doubtfully, I nodded. They weren't lying, as far as I could tell, but the man seemed apprehensive. Nervous. What was going on out there, in the real world? What were they planning?

The other guard warned, "We don't have much time. They're going to come check on us soon."

The first one nodded. "Yeah, okay. Don't lose hope. Also, don't go ahead and rat us out." He replaced his mask onto his face. Both guards silently escorted me back to my cell and chained me back to the wall.

I glanced at Percy's unmoving form. He was asleep again, leaning against the wall. His back wounds had somewhat dried up, but they were going to scar for sure. I couldn't imagine what kind of pain he was going through. No doubt it hurt like Hades for him to move an inch.

I let out a soft whine. I couldn't bear to see Percy this way. He looked so vulnerable, so innocent, and yet he had been through so much. The fact that _I_ played a part in giving him this terrible fate tore me apart. How could I have done this to him?

I pushed away my thoughts and settled in a corner of the cell. I shouldn't waste my time beating myself up over something I couldn't change. I had to come up with a plan. I had to cooperate with the two guards and find a way out of here.

My mission still hadn't changed. I had to save Percy's life.

Time passed by slowly. After that day, Atlas didn't call upon me again. He probably assumed that the guards were 'having their way with me.' Percy, however, was a different story.

He was taken away every day (or what _seemed_ like every day), despite my yelling and screaming. Every time he came back, he fell to the ground with some added injury, though none as bad as the whipping he got on his first day. One day, it was just a simple bruise on the cheek. Another time, it was a skinned knee. The all-time worse included knife cuts on his arm. Every single time it happened, poor Percy collapsed on his cell floor with less and less energy, less and less motivation to go on.

His muscles were atrophying as well. Streaks of bone protruded from his formerly sinewy arms and legs. His defined cheekbones were now hollow, eyes cloaked in shadows, and every breath came out labored and wheezing. Every time he tried to push himself up, his limbs quaked so violently that they seemed like blurs.

I tried to ask him how he was doing, if he felt alright, how much the pain was, but he still wouldn't talk to me. It only escalated my levels of frustration and anguish, but I knew it was only fair. I didn't deserve his attention. He didn't need to give any to me.

Overall, I spent those days wasting away, thinking about my future. It was near torturous, but I managed to make peace with my past, for the time being. I cut myself off from my old self and solely focused on who I was going to become, meaning I managed to make a plan. Assuming I didn't miss the SAT while I was sitting in prison, I would take that and the ACT, and take community college courses to get my diploma. Once I got that, I would work at jobs at restaurants or something to save up for college. It would take me a while, maybe a couple years, but I would do it. Then, I could finally achieve my dream of becoming an architect.

A bittersweet taste crept along my tongue as I was reminded of one lone memory. That night when Percy offered me a job.

It was life-changing. It was a turning point in my outlook on life. It was when I realized that everything I'd ever wanted was at the tip of my fingers. I could chase my dreams at a company that was doing great things for the world. I could spend more time with my favorite person in the universe, maybe even settle down together and build a family. I could finally be happy.

And thinking that was a mistake. In my mind, I had designed an ideal future for myself; I had built something I wanted to be permanent. But I had aimed too high. I had fully expected something to happen, and when it didn't, it broke my heart.

I decided that there was cruelty and beauty in hope. Hope was the thing that could pull you up from rock bottom. Yet, it was the same thing that could pull you _down_ to rock bottom, when your hopes reached too high. Its dual nature was so confounding.

I shook my head and cleared my thoughts. If I told Percy what I was thinking, he would tell me that I was hurting his brain. That is, if he wasn't currently giving me the silent treatment.

I huffed and ran my hands through my hair. I had to focus on what was happening _now_ before I gave a schist about anything else. I wouldn't have a future if I didn't get out of here.

"Pssst."

I jerked in surprise. I whipped my head to the left, where the sound came from.

All I saw was darkness.

Another "pssst." I crawled to the cell door and looked down the hall.

Hidden behind a wall was none other than Percy's father. Poseidon.

His green eyes made eye contact with me, and he raised a finger. _One_ , he mouthed. _One more day._

My heart leapt. Was escape coming that soon?

I gave him a slight nod, and he disappeared into the shadows.

I let my body slump against the wall as I gazed at the ceiling in relief. Finally. We would be free soon.

My eyes settled on Percy's unmoving form.

"We're almost there, Percy," I whispered. "You're almost home."

* * *

 **Ok, so this is going to be a long one.**

 **First order of business, 67 Reviews, I'm so sorry. I originally intended to combine some of these more recent chapters in some way or form (mainly chapters 17-20), but I didn't do it for 17 and 18 because I wanted to keep the cliffhangers on those two. And with chapter 19, I kind of forgot, so it's too late now. I mean, I know I _can_ update a chapter, but I don't want to do that by adding a whole 'nother chapter to it, because you guys won't get a notification and then many of you will be left clueless. I'm so sorry! I'll definitely follow your advice on other stories, though!**

 **Also, I just want to kinda get this out. You don't have to read this. I know my feelings behind all this isn't as relevant to you guys as the story itself, but I personally don't like this chapter, or the next. Basically, I don't like the way the climax stuff goes, but I don't know how to change it. Like, for those of you who write as well (not necessarily fanfiction, but stories in general), do you ever feel like, once you have something down on paper, even though you know it's a bad idea, you either don't want to or can't change it? As in, you can't come up with anything that would make it better, even though you know it definitely could be improved? That's basically how I'm feeling with these past few chapters and the next one.**

 **So, in other words, I'm sorry if it ends up being really anticlimactic. You guys deserve the best banging climax of all time, and I'm 100% sure the next chapter won't deliver that.**

 **On a waaayyy lighter note, Guest, I have no clue how I'm too lazy to sleep. Maybe it's less of "too lazy to sleep" and more of "too lazy to walk upstairs to my bedroom and stuff".**

 **Finally, I have this little blurb that I wrote (because I kinda needed a break from these chapters) called You Belong With Me. I would really appreciate if you checked it out! It's based on Taylor Swift's music video for that same song (but it's not the same thing).**

 **Thank you for bearing with me!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi guys. I'm so sorry for the wait. Those of you who read my last author's note know how much I was struggling with this chapter. I still am not happy with it. Some of the things I included were not mentioned at all in the previous chapters, so it seems discontinuous and not cohesive at all. I decided to put it out anyway, because I've been mulling over it for at least a month now (since the first draft was already done in August), and nothing seems to be changing for the better.**

 **Again, I'm sorry for the not-so-great chapter. I hope the next ones will be better.**

 **Disclaimer: None of the characters mentioned below belong to me.**

* * *

 **Percy**

I'd like to say that things got better from there. That Chris and Ethan whisked us away and brought us to safety the day after they exposed themselves to me.

But nope. Apparently, the gods wanted me to suffer for much longer. My injuries only kept getting worse. My body fell into more and more pain. And being ADHD, I was growing increasingly impatient.

And sometimes, I would break into shivers, receding into my shell and struggling to climb back out. During those moments, my surroundings faded away. All noises faded away. I was left with nothing but my trembling body and a spiraling headache that sunk me deeper and deeper into the hole I was digging for myself. And every time, these spells lasted longer and longer, and they got harder and harder to come out of. In many of these spells, Gabe would occupy my thoughts, taunting me and beating me until I was unable to think for myself anymore.

I was going crazy for sure.

I sneezed into the crook of my elbow. Today was no different than every other day. I was aching with pain, nearly unable to move. Annabeth kept staring at me worriedly. Small Bob was dozing off in my armpit.

Sighing, I buried my face in my arms, ignoring the volts of pain that rocketed through my muscles. Our plights seemed endless. Eternal. Would Chris and Ethan ever get us out of this cell?

As if answering my question, footsteps rumbled across the floor. Two sets of boot-clad feet squealed to a halt in front of the bars. I weakly lifted my head. Two pairs of brown eyes stared back at me.

Was it really time?

"Percy, get up," one voice commanded. Ethan. The other one, likely Chris, launched himself at the lock of my cell, rapidly fiddling with the gears. Within seconds, he had the door wide open, and I was leaning heavily on Ethan.

Chris unlocked Annabeth and guided her out, but he muffled her _thank you_ with his hand. We were still at risk of being caught. We had to stay as silent as possible.

Immediately, the three arranged into stealth formation. Ethan held me up as we slowly tiptoed through the halls. Chris scouted ahead while Annabeth monitored the back. Small Bob trailed close behind, paws padding against the cement floors.

A stab of fear pierced through my skin. If Chris and Ethan got caught… what would happen? Would they die? Would _I_ die? Would Atlas end up winning this game?

I hated putting these selfless people at risk. If anyone should be busting their gut to help someone else, it should be me. I was responsible for Chris being shot at Thalassa. I was responsible for involving Ethan in something more dangerous than he had ever known. They weren't supposed to be the ones dragging me to safety through the winding halls of an abandoned warehouse.

But then again, if I had been the one saving them, I would have gotten lost as heck. I couldn't comprehend where we were going or what we were doing. All I knew was that Ethan was lugging me somewhere, turning left, right, and all over the place within the maze of my prison. I tried my best to walk on my own, but my legs were just about as firm as tentacles.

Our group turned a corner, and we ran straight into someone. Annabeth gasped.

Clouds of tan and black blended into each other as the man raised his hands towards me. As I stepped closer, one of those clouds sharpened into a face. A pair of eyes, burning bright green.

"Dad!" I slurred. Then I shut my mouth, realizing that we were on ninja stealth mode, not drunk lunatic mode.

Ethan gently released me, and I fell onto Poseidon. His chuckle reverberated through my body as he patted my waist. "It's okay. I've got you. You're okay."

He smelled like the ocean. His presence was warm and comforting. My chest felt heavy as tears prickled behind my eyes.

I nuzzled my head into his neck. "Dad."

Poseidon gave me one last squeeze. Then, he slipped a pocket-knife into my pocket. Annabeth's knife.

Poseidon covered my hand with his own. Then, he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He was careful not to touch my wounded back. "We have to go before Atlas finds us."

Considering I had a great view of my father's waistline, I couldn't tell what the others' reactions were. I assumed it was agreement, since they all started speed-walking forward.

They moved in silence, Poseidon now assuming Ethan's former place at the center of the formation. It took me a while before I realized it was to protect me.

A couple seconds later, Poseidon squeezed my thigh. "We're almost there. Just one more turn."

A shiver ran through my skin as I grinned into my father's waistband. It hurt to smile, but I didn't care. This was it. We were almost there. Just one more minute, and we would all be free of this torment forever.

Suddenly, Ethan gasped. They all came to an abrupt stop. My face collided with Poseidon's belt.

Annabeth's voice was filled with malice. "Luke."

Luke? Like the Luke who had gotten her into the assassin business? The Luke who had likely given her the job of killing me?

A deep, velvety voice echoed, "Annabeth."

"What are you doing?" she questioned angrily.

Poseidon chose that moment to face me forward. The sight I came upon was incredibly jarring.

The exit was a hundred feet away from us, down a long, straight corridor. In between us and the exit, however, stood an enormous group of guards - bodies stiff, rifles armed, expressions absent. At the tip of the formation was a tall, middle-aged man. His hair was sandy blonde, blue eyes harboring an icy glare that pierced a hole in my chest. A long, white scar etched a jagged line from his eye to the corner of his lip. His thin lips were set in a scowl, and his arms were crossed.

Luke's arms fell to his sides. "I'm getting you out of here."

Annabeth snarled in response. "What are you _saying_?"

"Atlas knew about your plan. It was destined to fail. Annabeth, come with me. Let Atlas take care of the others. You have nothing to do with them."

"You would be wise to listen to him, my dear." My father's old business partner stepped into the scene. Anger flared in my chest. "Luke has been… instrumental in helping me figure out your plan. In return, he bartered for one thing: for Annabeth to come out unharmed. A very smart move on his part."

Annabeth's breath hitched. Realization filled her voice. "That's why Atlas didn't hurt me."

Luke visibly relaxed. "Yes. Now come with me. You'll be safe with me."

Annabeth stepped away, eyes narrowed. "No."

Luke closed the distance between them, firmly grabbing her arm. " _Please._ "

Annabeth shook him off. " _No._ "

He reached for her again, but she sidestepped and grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back. The soldiers behind him took a step forward, but Atlas held them back with a flick of his arm.

Luke threw Annabeth to the side and freed his hand in one swift movement. Small Bob mewed and ran away.

Bile rose up in my throat. How dare he touch her? How dare he try to harm my Annabeth?

I shoved Poseidon away as I yelled, "Don't touch her!" Frantically, I tumbled to where Annabeth lay disoriented and stood firmly in front of her. It took all of my effort to keep my legs from giving out.

Ice-cold eyes flashed at me. Luke scoffed. "And what will you do to stop me, rich boy?"

I felt a presence behind me. I sniffed as Annabeth stepped in front of me and my father grabbed ahold of me once again. "Stop it, Luke."

He growled, "Don't be a fool, Annabeth. I've helped you for years, now. I've given you a living. I've taught you so much. I've risked my life for you, not just once, but multiple times! What do these people mean to you? What have they ever done for you?"

"More than you have." Annabeth's eyes brimmed with tears. "They've given me hope. All you've ever done is tear it down. All those times you told me that killing would help my situation, you weren't advising me. You were manipulating me. Molding me into what you thought would be profitable. I became a corporate _weapon_. I no longer felt human."

Luke spat, "Stop it! Are you hearing yourself? What could I possibly have to gain from asking you kill people?"

"Money. Power. The removal of obstacles."

"No! Never! Was killing Fan Zhi's murderer any of those things?"

Annabeth tightened her fists. "It was bribery. To get me into the business in the first place. You didn't give a shit about me or my situation. You just wanted a servant to respond to your every whim."

Luke looked beyond pained. "Annabeth, no. I cared about you. I _care_ about you still. You're like a little sister to me. Just trust me. I want to help you."

Annabeth settled into a fighting stance. "You didn't help me, Luke. You brought me down. Now I've got to pick myself back up."

Behind me, Chris and Ethan drew their guns. Poseidon did the same.

Atlas clapped. "Well, that was dramatic. Definitely film-worthy. Let's give them a standing ovation!"

Turns out, a standing ovation meant attacking. The moment the mini-army took a step forward, Chris and Ethan started shooting. Poseidon gave Annabeth his gun and pulled me into an adjacent hall.

"Stop them!" Atlas roared.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound thundered through the building. Two more squads emerged from the shadows on either side, guns pointing straight at us. We were surrounded.

Poseidon yelled, "There's too many!"

He tried to race back the way we came, but another set of guards was already waiting there, ready to shoot. My heart sunk. A series of shivers erupted in my body. My vision started to blur.

A gun clattered to the ground. Two. Chris and Ethan raised their arms in surrender.

Annabeth was panting heavily. She was the only one still carrying a weapon.

Except for me.

But then again, what would a tiny pocket-knife do against an army? What hope was left anymore?

I pressed myself into Poseidon to support myself. My hands started to quake. Cursing, I tightened them into fists. I wasn't going to fall under the spell. I had to stop it. Please, please, _please..._

"Annabeth, put it down. You're overpowered." Luke demanded.

She visibly gulped. Her fingers released the gun. It clattered to the floor.

I started panting. My hands tingled with a foreign sensation. I felt myself slowly losing jurisdiction over my body.

It would never stop. It would keep coming, It would keep coming, again and again, and _he_ would beat the crap out of me in the midst of my stupor, maybe even kill me this time. How long would it take for me to get out of this one?

Poseidon's grip on me tightened as Annabeth raised her arms in surrender. Even with my clouded vision, I could see her fingers trembling.

Luke exhaled. "Good. Now come here. You'll be safe with me."

"Nuh, uh." Atlas wagged his finger. "She's coming with us."

Luke gaped. "You promised- "

Atlas remarked, "My promise has been fulfilled. She hasn't been harmed. But Annabeth is a _fine_ young lady. I can get paid a lot more if I sell her to the right person."

Annabeth's eyes widened. She reached for her gun. "You-"

Two guards rushed towards her. One of them grasped her arms and pushed them together, while another cuffed her.

Suddenly, Poseidon was torn from my grip. He called out my name, but my wobbly legs dragged me to the ground. My knees hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Pairs of arms pulled me up as cool metal dug into my wrists. Shudders cascaded down my body as my mind began to shut down. The beatings and the cuts and the bruises. It was all happening again. And it would happen again and again and again and again and it was never going to end.

They took us back to the throne room. Atlas eased himself onto his throne while his guards tied us to rings in the wall. A grand portion of the army left soon after. Only a couple guards were left.

Atlas brushed himself off and seated himself on the throne, a smirk on his blurred, ugly face. But all I could see were Gabe's cold, unforgiving umber eyes. "Finally. My plan worked. Nice to see you again, Poseidon."

I shook my head vigorously, trying to break myself out of my daze. Everything sounded like I was underwater.

My father scowled. "I can't say the same, Atlas."

Atlas clicked his tongue. "For good reason too. I can finally kill you with my own hands. I must cherish this moment."

The room descended into silence as Atlas commanded his guards to bring him 'his favorite gun.' It didn't take a genius to understand why.

But I couldn't let it happen. I had to distract him before he killed my father.

I fought the black threatening to overtake my vision as I grunted, "If you were just going to kill Poseidon, why did you send Thorn? Or Kelli, or Tammi, for that matter? What was buying up land going to do for you?"

Atlas filed his fingernails. "Thorn, Kelli, Tammi, all of them had one thing in common. Foresight. They put their futures ahead of their morals. They were wise in that sense."

"That doesn't answer my question," I forced my voice out of my blocked-up throat.

"Do I need to answer your question?" Atlas leaned forward. "I tried to do it peacefully. I tried to stay away from any legal trouble. But every single time, I was thwarted. Now, I will finally have the chance to kill you. I will finally get the land I want."

Beside me, Poseidon gasped, "You were going to destroy the evidence!"

Atlas seemed alarmed, "What?"

My father laughed mirthlessly. "I get it. You wanted to search those plots of land for the wreckage of the ship without drawing any attention! You bastard."

"And is there something wrong with that? Is there something _wrong_ with trying to do things the right way?" Atlas roared.

"The 'right' way isn't right anymore when you use wrong methods to pursue it."

Atlas pointed his finger at Poseidon. "I don't need you lecturing me, shithead. Show some respect to your elders."

Atlas and Poseidon kept firing at each other, words spitting venom again and again and again. Their voices kept batting at my head with a club. Throwing it from side to side, each blow doling an extra dose of pain to my body. I took a shaky breath. Don't fall in. Don't fall in. I could do this.

Too late. Surroundings were already fading. Gabe's menacing laughter, stinging my mind. _Weakling. Bastard. Lunatic._

Drowning in his words. Drowning in their voices. No water. Mud. Suffocating sludge in my throat. Choking, choking…

Her voice. Soft and sweet. Nothing more than a whisper. A rope. _Percy._

 _Percy, pull through._

Annabeth?

I grabbed onto the rope. My vision went from black to grey. Her eyes. The color of her eyes.

 _Percy, please. You're going to be okay. Please be okay._

"Please be okay." Blurs of skin and clothes traversed across my vision. One central figure stood right before me, screaming at someone beside me. My head was throbbing.

"Percy?" It _was_ her. Not an illusion. She was whispering, trying not to get caught by the guards surrounding us, but she was frantic.

"An- beth." My throat felt scratchy. The edges of her body and her face began to reveal themselves.

Relief blanketed her eyes. She turned away.

What was going on?

They were still arguing. Atlas' attention was solely focused on Poseidon. Not only that, but the guards were watching the two like a tennis match, completely ignoring me.

How long had I even been out?

Not long. Nobody seemed to have noticed my episode except for Annabeth.

I moved an arm slightly. It was no longer quaking. I seemed to have control over my body again. I glanced up at the people surrounding me. Nobody reacted.

Ok, good. I could move without people noticing. What good would that do?

Wait a second.

Ignoring a spike of pain, I peeked over my shoulder at my binds. They were rope. Those stupid idiots had taken off my handcuffs and left nothing but rope to keep me tied to the ring.

And the knife...

Quickly, I slid Annabeth's knife out of my pocket and hid it behind my back. My breath escaped me in short bursts. Nobody reacted.

I took a brief glance at the ropes behind me and started sawing. The action was soundless, yet I pressed myself against the wooden slab, nervous that somebody would see it.

Somebody did see it. Annabeth.

She raised her eyebrows at me, eyes widening. Then, she quickly looked away. She didn't want to bring attention me.

"This is pointless! I am done arguing with you!" Atlas yelled. He snatched his gun from a guard's hands as I started working on the other hand. "Prepare to die."

Slowly, tantalizingly, he turned off the safety and aimed the gun at Poseidon's head. His lip quivered.

The ropes behind me snapped. Like a riptide, I slipped the knife into Annabeth's hands and whirled around, tackling Atlas. The gun went off as he screamed, and a bullet buried itself in the ceiling.

"Guards!" Atlas cried.

By the time Atlas threw me off of him, Annabeth was free. She handed the knife to Ethan and ran into the growing group of men, attacking them with her bare hands. Within seconds, Ethan had joined her and Chris was sawing at his cords.

Atlas scrambled for his gun, which had skittered to the other side of the room.

"No!" I yelled. I struggled to push myself up.

But Small Bob beat me to it. He came out of nowhere, yowling ferociously, and lunged at Atlas. Scratches streaked down Atlas's arm as he screamed in pain.

Flames of anger lit his eyes as he swatted the cat away. He marched towards the gun. Alarmed, I crawled after him. I grabbed his ankle, but he kicked my face.

"Percy!" Annabeth's cry ricocheted off the walls.

My grip on Atlas's ankle grew tighter as he tried to shake me off. In the end, he gave up and grabbed me by the neck. His iron grip sucked the air from my throat.

"You," he spat. "Get out of my sight, or I'll kill you."

He launched me from his arms, landing me with a crack at the foot of Atlas's throne. A searing pain burned through my back. I let out a muffled groan.

Atlas wrapped his fingers around the gun. Expression determined and eyes filled with a ruthless fire, he aimed it at my father, who was busy fighting off Atlas's army with the rest of my friends.

"No," I rasped. But nobody heard me. I could only watch helplessly as Atlas pulled the trigger.

The bullet burst out of the gun in slo-mo, flying closer and closer to my father until -

It collided with a silver arrow?

Crunch. Another arrow sprouted from the muzzle of Atlas's gun, cleaving it in two.

A girl with electric blue eyes and short black hair stood at the entrance to the hall, feet apart, bow aimed at Atlas.

My cousin. Thalia.

I gaped. The last time I had seen her was years ago. How did she know to come here? How did she even know what was happening?

"Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed. They… they knew each other?

Thalia's mouth lifted into a smile, but her glare was focused on Atlas.

From her lips escaped one soft word. "Attack."

A majestic battle cry emerged from the halls as crowds of women raced into the scene. The floor rumbled as they stormed the building, parkas ruffling in the breeze. They shot arrows, fired guns, and attacked Atlas's newly-called backup guards from all directions. Thalia herself was wasting multiple guys at a time, her muscles rippling. I stared in awe.

Along with the women, my own friends were fighting for their lives. Chris and Ethan were shooting wildly, having taken weapons from fallen guards. Annabeth was using her Fan Zhi skills, busting move after move and knocking out baddies. My own father was wrestling guards to the ground. Luke, having realized Annabeth was going to get hurt either way, was battling Atlas's cronies at knifepoint.

My gaze flitted back to Atlas, who was running towards a door in the back of the room.

Shoot. He was escaping.

With a loud moan, I pushed myself up and stumbled after him. My stupid, beat-up legs made me fifty times slower than I should have been.

Atlas typed in a code on a keypad and shoved open the door. He entered a room that seemed to be an office. I limped after him.

And almost crashed into him. Atlas came to an abrupt stop once he saw who was inside.

Caramel hair. Dark almond eyes. Fair, cream-colored skin.

Was it really?

Calypso.

She held a gun in her hands. Her arms were crossed.

The moment she saw Atlas, she ordered, "Don't move." Her gun raised to point at his chest.

Behind me, a guard yelled and swung his knife. Calypso adjusted her gun and shot at my attacker.

Calypso attempted to reload, but Atlas lunged towards her. He wrenched the gun out of her hand.

"No!" I screamed. My hand latched onto Atlas's arm. I threw my foot at his midsection.

" _Oof_ ," he strained. The gun clattered to the floor. Turns out I managed to kick lower than his stomach.

A smile flickered across Calypso's face as I picked the gun up off the floor. Within seconds, I had aimed at Atlas and Calypso had whisked out a phone.

"You move, and I shoot," I firmly stated. I didn't know where I got the courage to say that. My legs were quaking, my fingers were vibrating, and I had never killed a man in my life.

Atlas seemed to be reading my mind. "You're bluffing. You can't do it."

He was right. I couldn't do it. There was no way in hell that I was going to kill someone, even if that someone had tortured me to the bone and killed hundreds of men in return. I was _not_ going to have blood on my hands.

My hand started shaking. An image of my stepfather's sneering face danced across my mind.

No. No no no. Not again. Not now. _Please_ not now.

Atlas's mouth stretched wide in a smile. He knew I couldn't do it. He knew I wouldn't. I was too scared, too cowardly to even consider it. I was going to prove him right.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I was desperate. Atlas _had_ to be defeated, and I couldn't let Calypso do it alone. I couldn't let myself fall under that trance again.

The last time, Annabeth's voice had somehow drawn me from it. Would it work now?

What would Annabeth do? She had experience in this field. What would she say?

With a triumphant roar, Atlas launched himself off his feet and raced towards me.

Annabeth wouldn't kill him either. She wasn't a mindless murderer. But she would show him who was boss. She would never express her fear, instead donning a mask of confidence and power. Her enemies would never see a glimpse of the kind, loving person she really was.

So I swallowed down my fear and spread my feet apart. I held my hand tight, preventing the shivers from coming. And I pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew exactly where I wanted it to. Grazing the corner of his suit, but not entirely harming him. Along with the metal cylinder rode a chunk of his white dress shirt. It embedded itself in the wall right behind him.

Atlas yelped in alarm. His eyes were wide as he stuttered, "You… you…"

"Confess to your crime," Calypso interrupted. "Confess that you were the one who drowned Kronos." Her phone was on video mode.

Atlas shouted, "Why should I? I didn't do it!"

"Don't lie to me," I said, refusing to allow a hint of doubt in my voice. Feign confidence. Prove to him that he made a mistake in kidnapping you. You're not going to be Gabe _or_ the shell that he left you as. "You almost killed my father."

My heart pounded against my chest as I shot the gun again, this time at his feet. The bullet buried itself an inch from his right loafer.

I puffed my chest outward and reloaded the gun. Shoulders straight? Check. Jaw clenched? Check. Eyes ablaze with fire? A million times, check.

And for the first time, I saw fear in his expression. His stone-cold eyes were wide. His lip was trembling. His expression was one of anger and apprehension. He seemed to have fallen under my act.

"Not so brave now that you don't have a guard's protection, are you?" Calypso taunted.

"I don't _need_ protection," Atlas sputtered.

"Oh really? All your life, Father, you had the power, the influence, to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. But now that you're alone and helpless, you don't know what to do, do you? You're scared now, aren't you?"

"I'm not scared! I know perfectly well what to do. I'm going to kill you for what you've done to me."

"Just like you killed Kronos and hundreds of other businessmen?"

"They deserved it!" Atlas screamed. "Kronos cheated me out of so many things. He treated me like an indentured servant, a slave. _I_ ran his companies, _all alone,_ while he was off, catering to his whimsical needs, burning money like it grew on trees. In fact, he almost ran his companies bankrupt, but _I_ saved them. Again, and again, and again.

"In the end, I decided that I couldn't live like that anymore. I couldn't continue working my ass off for something that I would never be given credit or compensated for. I took his companies by force, including Poseidon's, because that was _my_ due. That was what _I_ deserved. In fact, I deserved _more_ than what I got!

"But once I found out your father was alive, I realized that everything I had worked so hard to gain would be lost if he blabbed a word to the feds. He _had_ to get out of the picture. And if the authorities somehow stumbled across the cruise ship's wreckage, I would be ruined once again. I had to erase all forms of evidence. I tried for years to do it legally, but I was unable to. Don't you understand? Wouldn't you do anything to get what you deserved?"

Calypso ended the video.

I replied, barely controlling my rage. "Atlas, _you're_ not the one who decides what you deserve. That's up to the gods. And as I told you before, you are NOT a god."

Atlas's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he yelled in anguish. He stormed towards me, fury dictating his every move. His skin was nearly firetruck red.

He was coming toward me. I couldn't shoot him. I couldn't kill him. Heck, even beating him up would make me Gabe.

Annabeth's voice echoed in my ears. _You won't become Gabe. You're so much better than him. Gabe did it to hurt you. You're doing it to survive._

She was right.

Gulping, I bent my knees, ready to fight with my hands. To only deal the least amount of damage to still save my friends.

Before I could react, Calypso yanked the gun from my grip and shot him in the thigh.

Atlas roared in pain. He collapsed to the floor, screaming bloody murder.

"You make another move, you die," Calypso said.

Atlas gurgled incomprehensibly, his hands clutched around his leg. He kept squeezing, trying to get the bullet out, but to no avail.

Calypso looked back at me. "Go. Help them. I've got this handled."

Obliging, I grabbed a knife from Atlas's desk and stumbled to the door, intent on combating Atlas's remaining army. Again, only for survival. To save your friends.

Suddenly, from the main room, I heard a loud voice yell, "Freeze! Hands up! This is the FBI! Put your hands up!"

The… the FBI?

The FBI.

A wave of relief overcame me as I collapsed to the floor.

It was done.

* * *

 **Thank you for sticking with me through this chapter. I know the mentioned attacks came in completely out of the blue, as did the memory of Gabe. I wanted to add some sort of internal conflict to the action, but it was too late to modify the previous chapters.**

 **I also feel like I had problems with pacing and completely transferring the intended emotional effect. If you guys have any pointers for the future on how I could have fixed these things, feel free to let me know.**

 **By the way, about the attacks, I intended to make them a sort of panic attack induced by pain and past trauma and stuff, but I, fortunately, have never experienced one of such a sort, so I apologize for all of the inaccuracies. Percy's experiences in this chapter are purely fictional.**

 **The upcoming chapters are less action and more Percabeth, now that the climax is over. I'm actually really happy with the last chapter (23). I can't wait for you guys to read it!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you for all the kind words! I guess I was a little too harsh on myself. I just really wanted that chapter to be perfect. :(**

 **Anyways, I really appreciate your comments. If you guys could continue to review, that would be great!**

* * *

 **Annabeth**

Once the police came, I fell to the floor, exhausted.

We had fought Atlas's guards off for what seemed like hours, retreating to the area immediately in front of the door to the office and blocking their entrance. At first, I was going to enter the room with Percy to make sure he wouldn't be alone. I _needed_ to protect him, especially considering he was injured beyond compare.

But Thalia and Poseidon warned me that I had to help them with the army. Besides, a quick glance into the room told me that he wasn't alone. Calypso was with him.

That didn't stop me from worrying, but I obliged. Together, we had brought a majority of the men down. We were almost at the point where I could count the remaining number of guards on my two hands.

Then, the police and the FBI shot into the room, ordering us to freeze. Apparently, they had already been briefed on the story by Thalia the Great, and had been close behind the Hunters the entire time. The only delay was that they had to get clearance from their superiors. And when they did, the rest was history.

I got the rest of the story from Calypso. She and Leo had followed my tracks to the building and reached it shortly after I got kidnapped. There, they ran into Chiron and Poseidon, who told them I had been taken and that the building was heavily fortified, with state-of-the-art security and everything. They had worked together to hack out all of the details regarding Atlas's security system, and finally achieved success after a few days. However, they didn't have enough people to break in. Chiron was in a wheelchair and Leo wanted Calypso as far away from danger as possible.

That was when Ethan and Chris had been discovered. They had been aching to find where their boss had gone, and had felt obligated to rescue him. Chiron eventually found out that they were more than willing to take on any risk to get Percy back. As a result, he recruited them to pose as Atlas's security guards; they were able to do it because Ethan had a cousin who worked at one of Atlas's companies. As they all worked to create a foolproof plan, Luke had been kept in the loop as well, because once he found out I had been kidnapped, he had demanded to know what was going on.

Basically, the plan had been that Ethan and Chris pose as guards and remain there until they received the signal. In the meantime, Leo would hack into the security cams and find out all of the doors' passwords. On a chosen day, he would give the team members these passwords so that Ethan and Chris could take us and escape, while Calypso snuck in and tried to find all the evidence she could to convict Atlas of his kills. In the meantime, Leo would cause a distraction with the lights and other electronics far far away from the exit, so we could escape safely. None of them had known about Thalia and the Hunters.

What _had_ happened in the end, however, was that once Luke had betrayed us, Chris and Ethan had let Calypso know. Instead of escaping, however, she continued to search the area for evidence, believing that even if we weren't rescued, she could convict Atlas and eventually have us released by the authorities. Once she had heard us banging around in the adjacent room, she had grabbed a gun. She knew there was no escape. She was determined to go down fighting.

Naturally, I had yelled at her for putting herself at risk. But in reality, I was eternally grateful to all my friends for doing this for us. All that mattered was that they were safe and that we were finally free.

As I lay on the floor, I watched the police drag guard after guard into their vans in cuffs. Percy and Poseidon had gone to the hospital moments prior, along with a chloroform-ed Atlas and other wounded guards. Officers continued clearing out the area and scrounging for evidence.

One blonde male officer came up to me. "Excuse me, miss. You're free to leave, but we will call you in the near future to get a statement. Is that okay?"

I sat up and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Thank you."

With a polite nod, he left. I watched him recede into the crowd of officers standing at the front of the room.

My eyes skimmed over to Thalia, who was shaking hands with the lead inspector. She waved him goodbye and walked over to me. "Calypso left with Leo a short while ago. So did Chris and Ethan."

I nodded. "I know. They said goodbye to me."

Thalia crouched down beside me. "Why don't you leave, then?"

I wrapped my arm around my knees. "I don't know."

She smiled kindly at me. She stood up and held her arm out to help me up. I took it.

"Annabeth, it's over. Relax. I know you've been through a lot. Take it easy." She rested a hand on my shoulder. "Go home and shower. I'll come over later tonight, and we can watch chick flicks together. Sound okay?"

I gave her a half-hearted smile. "Sure."

Later that day, I visited Reyna. She squeezed my hand lightly as I described what had happened. It had come out like a torrent, every detail of our torture and our plight. All of the worry I had harbored for him, for us, flew off of my shoulders as I spilled to Reyna. It was one of the most cathartic experiences of my life.

But not entirely. I couldn't bring myself to tell her about my broken relationship with Percy. Just thinking about it made me want to kick a wall and cry.

Together, we made a pact to pick up our lives, and we promised each other that we would keep checking up on each other until we finally accomplished our goals. It felt good to be actively pursuing a plan again, after so many days filled with reckless abandon.

The morning when I woke up and checked the news, _all_ of the articles were about us. They talked about how from the very beginning, Atlas had been out for Percy and Poseidon, trying to wreak havoc on them and hide the evidence of his boat. They cited the shootings at Thalassa, the assault near Percy's apartment, and his recent kidnapping as evidence. They even included me, saying that Annabeth Chase - they had my name now - had been caught in Percy's family troubles and had gone through the unthinkable. Percy and I were now the world's pity story, to be laughed at or cried at, whichever they chose to do.

One thing that I was grateful for was that they still didn't know I was a former assassin. They didn't know about any of my past kills, not did they know about Thorn's offer. Speaking of which, one day after our escape, Dr. James Thorn was arrested on his doorstep with charges of assault and bribery as well as the many other felonies he had committed in the past. Everything around me seemed to be righting itself.

The next week, Calypso reached out to me. Her father had killed himself in prison. _How_ he was able to do that, I wasn't sure. I gave her my condolences anyway and invited her over to talk, but Calypso didn't want to expand on the topic.

Overall, the Chase-Ramirez Plan, as I liked to call it, was starting to take effect. The next couple months, I finished my SAT and my ACT. I got a 1590 and a 36 respectively. Afterward, I applied to NYU for a scholarship, and somehow, I got in. That July, Piper and I decided we would room together to halve both our costs. We also spent a lot of the summer hanging out with our other friends - Thalia, Calypso, and Leo. Jason also came over from time to time. I had cut off contact with Luke completely, for good reason.

In addition, despite my constant refusals, Hazel insisted that I take up Percy's offer. After some negotiation, she secured me a job on the architecture team. It was beyond well-paying, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I made new friends as well, namely Malcolm, Katie, Kayla and Austin.

The only drawback of working in Thalassa was that I had to go out of my way to avoid Percy.

It wasn't difficult for the first month-ish. He was in the hospital most of the time. I have to admit, I often visited him when he was sleeping. I would examine his calm, relaxed form as he breathed in and out. The way his eyelashes fluttered slightly as he immersed himself in a dream. The slight twitching of his fingers. The river of drool that snaked its way down his chin. I couldn't help but marvel at his beauty. And then I would curse myself for doing this to him, bringing him into this entire situation. I had caused him so much pain, so much suffering, where he deserved only love and happiness. By the time he awoke, I was already long gone.

After Percy was released, Hazel had ordered him to stay home and recover. So, he was hardly ever at work, and therefore, I was never put in an awkward situation.

During those anxiety-filled weeks, I drafted a letter of apology to him. It took me long hours and many discarded pieces of paper, but I finally perfected it by the time his absence was over. The day of his scheduled return, I went to work early. I snuck past Hazel and stuck the letter on his desk. I prayed nobody else would see it.

The next day, I checked his desk. The letter was gone. He had seen it. Or, some janitor had stolen it from his desk and used it for kindling. I hoped it was the second option. Either way, he hadn't approached me about it, so there was no more hope for us to fix what had been broken.

I tried to convince myself that it was for the better. That I was only keeping him free of stress. It never really worked.

He had been at work for a week before I saw him for the first time. I had been working on blueprints when I randomly decided to look up, and there he was, smiling at co-workers with a coffee in hand. He had likely been returning from the break room.

His skin was as tan as ever. Messy hair as usual, half combed, half hanging down in front of his face. No bags under his eyes. He had gained back much of the muscle mass Atlas had robbed from him. Overall, he seemed healthy. Calm. At ease.

Yet, for some reason, his eyes seemed dull. The smile was never genuine. His grip on the coffee cup was stiff and unyielding. I immediately decided it was from the trauma he had been through.

My heart jumped into my throat. My skin prickled. My eyes followed his form until he was out of sight. I was fully prepared to turn away in case he saw me, but he never did. I didn't know whether I felt relieved or disappointed.

More time passed. I prepped for my first year of college. I loved my job. In fact, I immersed myself in my work to the point where Piper told me it was unhealthy. I also occasionally saw Percy walk through the halls, but much less often than I would have liked. After a certain point, I stopped myself from looking for him every five seconds. He didn't want me. He looked better without me. It was best for the both of us to stay apart.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Even now.

I marked another day off my calendar. August seventeenth. Roughly two months since the incident happened. College would start in a week.

I gulped as my mind wandered to the topic I had continually procrastinated on. Percy's birthday was tomorrow. I didn't know whether I should buy him a present or not.

Would the action be acceptable? I mean, considering he hadn't attempted to contact me again, it was obvious he wanted nothing to do with me. He evidently hadn't forgiven me, but I still wanted to show that I cared.

Maybe I should make it an anonymous gift?

No. He knew my handwriting. And even if I changed it, he would recognize it was me. There was nobody else he knew who would bother giving him an _anonymous_ present. His fans and co-workers would want recognition. His friends and family didn't need to hide their identities. That narrowed it down to only me.

I, again, pushed off the thought. I was going to Rosie's after work anyway. Maybe Piper would help me decide.

But wait. She didn't know Percy and I had ended. I hadn't told anybody about it. I mean, people may have assumed it, considering my eternally sour mood and our lack of hanging out, but nobody knew what actually happened.

Oh well. I would deal with it if Piper asked.

That's how I found myself sitting alone at a booth in Rosie's, waiting for Piper to finish her shift.

I observed her lithe form as she lifted a tray of burgers in one hand, a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. She stopped in front of a table in the corner of the building - the one that Percy had sat at, on that day four months ago when I had apologized to him.

In the booth sat an elderly couple.

Piper's mouth moved excitedly as she set the burgers down in front of them. She offered to refill their drink cups for them, in that charming way that only Piper could, and disappeared back behind the counter.

As soon as she left, the couple exchanged a knowing glance. The man said something, causing the woman to laugh into her palm, and then he stuck his tongue out at her. She returned the gesture.

My heart thumped violently. I missed that. I used to have that in my life, but I had ruined it. I tore it all apart.

Piper sat down in front of me, jarring me from my stupor. "What's up, Anna Banana?"

Normally, I would sock her for calling me such a thing. But I didn't. I just looked up and gave her a weak smile.

Piper's eyes swirled with worry as she grasped my hand. "What's wrong?"

I began carefully. "Percy's birthday is tomorrow. I was wondering if I should get him a present."

Piper's voice stayed calm and gentle. "Isn't it a bit late for that?"

"I don't want him to hate me any more than he already does."

Piper knitted her eyebrows. "Why would he hate you?"

The dam broke without warning. Tears streamed from my eyes as I buried my face in my arms.

I felt Piper slide into the booth beside me. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders. "Oh, Annabeth. I'm so sorry."

My sobs were likely attracting the attention of all her customers, including the old couple, but I didn't care. I hadn't cried for the past two months. I had held in every attempt to release my emotions. I had tried to stay strong.

Yet in that booth, I came undone. Days of withholding the pain unraveled themselves as I poured my tears into my sleeves. What was the point of staying strong when my only strength hated my guts?

Piper escorted me into the bathroom as I frantically tried to wipe my face. She tilted my chin up. "Ssh. Do you want to talk to me?"

I nodded my head as I swiped at my cheeks. "I ruined _everything_. I lied to him about everything and then I told him everything except for the fact that I was supposed to kill him and I was _going_ to tell him but then I didn't and then he found out from Atlas and he got mad for good reason but now he _hates_ me. And I hate it!"

"Oh, honey, I doubt he hates you. He was probably just hurt that you didn't tell him!" Piper embraced me. "It's a matter of trust, Annabeth. Because you didn't tell him, he felt like you didn't trust him. And that made him question whether he could trust you."

"Are you sure it's not because I was hired to _kill_ him?" I hiccuped.

Piper swept her fingers across my cheeks. Her fingertips came away moist. "No, it's not, because you told him about killing other people, and he didn't bat an eye."

"He batted more than an eye, Pipes."

"But he still stayed with you, didn't he? He still loved you, didn't he?"

I sniffled, struggling to withhold my tears.

Piper rested her hand on my cheek. "Annabeth, chase after him. If you still love him, don't let him go. Don't let him get away from you. If it doesn't work out, then maybe it wasn't meant to be."

She paused, and then started giggling. "Did you see what I did there? Annabeth Chase? Annabeth, "chase" after him?"

I shoved her arm.

Piper feigned hurt. "Hey! Anyways, you know what you're going to do tomorrow right? You're going to talk to Percy?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

Maybe it _was_ time for me to face my fears.

* * *

 **Alright, so before Annabeth faces her fears, please check out my one-shots in You Belong With Me and The Story of Us! I'm especially proud of You Belong With Me. :D**

 **On another note, please let me know if there are any loopholes in the Chiron/Poseidon's plan to rescue Percabeth, and I'll try to fix it asap. I hope it's all okay.**

 **Also, do any of you recommend any completed Percabeth stories? Right now, I'm in the middle of at least five stories that are really slowly updated, so I was wondering if you guys had any good fanfics in mind for me to read in the meantime.**

 **Again, thank you for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Before I start, I have to thank you all. You've made my first fanfiction something that I'll never forget, thanks to all of your spectacular reviews and words of encouragement. They mean so much to me.**

 **Disclaimer: All of these characters are owned by Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Percy**

I rolled my shoulders around in their sockets, stretching my arm and back muscles.

Daily, now, I had been completing my prescribed exercises to rebuild my muscle mass and ease the pain from my injuries. They were helping, but it felt slow. And considering I was ADHD, I hated waiting patiently for stuff to happen.

I glanced at my phone to check the date.

August eighteenth. Nearly two months since the incident happened.

Since the incident, I had spent more time in the hospital than in my own home. I hated it. Days and weeks of treatments, check-ups, physical therapy, mental therapy, injections - and none of it was entirely behind me yet.

But things had gotten slightly better. For one, my father was finally exposed to the world as alive. He regained his old company Thermocline, along with the ones Atlas appropriated from Kronos (my dad's dad). Although, instead of jumping back into the power scheme like anybody else would, Poseidon sold them all. He told me he wanted to refocus his attention on picking his life back up. He also said he wanted to bond with a certain son of his. I couldn't complain.

My father also showed himself to my mom. They talked it out, and things are okay between them. But of course, nothing major changed. Paul and mom are still happy together. Poseidon just recently started dating this lady named Amphitrite. I'm glad for the both of them.

My friends also visited me nearly every day since the incident. Jason was the most frequent, likely because he was the only one of my friends who wasn't engaged or married, but they all took turns coming. Grover and Juniper, Nico and Will, Hazel and Frank, and even Chiron (who I had recently found out was the friend my dad had contacted after his ship sunk) talked to me often.

But the problem was, I knew they weren't hanging out with me just for the heck of it. They were doing it out of pity. They kept trying to encourage me, to look on the positive side of things. Even _Nico_ , which was very much uncharacteristic of him. I didn't want to be treated differently, as if I were a charity case. I wanted to jump into life like nothing had happened, like my friends were with me to have fun, not to make me feel better. Their presence only reminded me of those torturous days in that prison cell. I knew they didn't mean it that way, but it bothered me nonetheless.

Another thing that kept reminding me about Atlas: the world. Articles were published every day about what the incident meant for the business industry, even though it all occurred two months ago. TV news stations kept coming back to it when discussing changes in stocks. Tabloids and magazines were still asking me and friends for statements on what had happened. Vogue had even wanted to do a cover story on it, but I politely declined, saying I was still suffering from PTSD.

Which, I was. It screwed me over every day. Especially when I had my weekly therapy sessions. Just when I had gotten over Gabe with Annabeth's help, _this_ had to happen. Thankfully, I had only had one panic attack so far, but…

Sorry. I'd rather not talk about that stuff. It's too much for me, even now.

Anyways, on a whole other note, it was my birthday today. Hazel had tried to convince me to take a sick day in honor of it, but I was itching to catch up on my work. Especially after my extra-long absence.

Besides, I never liked to make a big deal about my birthday. I found no point in celebrating it. It just meant I was getting closer and closer to arthritis.

For some reason, however, my stomach churned with excitement as I stepped out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. I didn't know why.

Scratch that. I knew exactly why. I just didn't want to admit it.

Because I wanted a certain somebody to notice me again. I wanted her to wrap her arms around my neck, whisper my name with those plush, soft lips, and kiss me like I was the only one who could make her truly happy. Because she was the only one who made me truly happy.

I walked to the table near my living room. A small piece of paper rocked in the breeze of my fan. Its edges were slightly frayed, as if it had been ripped from a pad of paper.

I gingerly unfolded it. It was a routine now, for me to read it and remind myself of her. Though the paper could never replace the real thing, I still needed her presence in my life. Somehow. Some way.

 _Dear Percy,_

 _I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I accepted the offer to kill you. I'm sorry I ever brought you into this mess. I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have pulled you into my whirlpool of a life and expected you to come out okay. I've hurt you more than I ever wanted to (I never wanted to) and I'm so sincerely sorry I did. I hope you'll forgive me. And even if you don't, please know this:_

 _I love you more than you will ever know. You've changed my life for the better. You've made me braver, stronger, and more willing to believe in the good of the world. You've given me hope, a gift that cannot be repaid easily. Though I will do everything in my power to do so, I don't think I can, in the long run. But I want you to know that you've made me the girl I've always wanted to be, and I can never thank you enough for that. I'll never forget you for that._

 _Even if I'm not your Wise Girl anymore, you'll always be my Seaweed Brain._

 _Love,_

 _Annabeth_

Every time I read it, I could feel her lips on my cheek. Her soft, pleasant voice. Every memory of ours played through my mind as I inhaled her lemon scent and felt her breath on my neck.

I missed her. So badly.

It still hurt, her 'betrayal', if you could call it that. But I had forgiven her long ago. Long before she had given me the letter. During my time at the hospital, I had been given ample time to think about the source of my anger towards her. That was when I contemplated what _I_ would have done, had I been in her position. In the process, I understood where she came from, why she did what she did, and what it took for her to admit herself to me. It wasn't a lack of trust. It was the presence of fear.

And fear was a powerful plague.

In fact, the day after she had sent me her letter, I drafted a letter of my own. I apologized in return, described how much she meant to me, and I had offered that we try it once more. Give our relationship another chance, because I didn't think I could find a connection like that, ever again.

That next morning, I had placed the note on the edge her desk, beside the running fan. When I checked back that evening, after she had left, I found the note in the trash can.

For the rest of that day, I felt like I was walking through Jello. I went to the bar afterward, drinking my sorrows away. Annabeth didn't want me. She didn't want to give us another chance. Whatever I had with her was over.

And I had been in denial as well. I had considered every other possibility, other than a rejection. Maybe she had accidentally thrown it in the trash, thinking it was a piece of scratch paper. Maybe the fan had knocked it over the edge of the desk and into the trash. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

Maybe I had to stop hoping for something that would never happen.

Sighing, I replaced her note where it had been, beside the ring box she had given me long ago. I wore the infinity ring every day. I never had the nerve to take it off. Even in the shower.

I slipped my shirt on and buttoned it down. My scars were still prominent, and I still felt insecure about them, but they had mostly healed. Again, I didn't want to linger on those experiences. Not yet, at least.

When I got to work, I took my usual detour. I rode up the elevator on the far side of my floor, grabbed a coffee from the break room, and walked across the entire floor to get to my office. Because when I walked out of the break room, I could see her through the glass doors, nibbling on the end of her pencil, curls tumbling over her shoulder, eyes dark with concentration as she stared at her sketchpad in determination. Today, her upper button had come loose.

I quickly turned my head away. I was ogling my ex-girlfriend while she was working. What kind of a perv was I?

Too late, I realized I had left my binder in the break room. I dropped the rest of my stuff off in my office and bounded back the way I came.

I was so occupied with scolding myself that I walked right into somebody. I nearly fell to the floor.

I buried my hand in my hair. "I'm so sorry, I-"

It was _her_. My beautiful Wise Girl.

Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened and closed. She stammered, "I-I'm sorry. I was just going to bring Hazel this…"

She held out the very binder I had left in the break room.

I gently reached out to take my binder. My hands were shaking. "Thank you, I-"

"I should go," she squeaked. She abruptly turned away and walked towards her desk.

"Wait!" I called. She didn't look back.

One of my co-workers, Malcolm, glanced at me sympathetically. I gave him a half-hearted smile and retreated to my office.

My heart pooled at my feet. Maybe she had found someone else better for her. Maybe that's why she was avoiding me, why she discarded the letter.

The rest of the day went by bitterly. I answered emails. I crossed stuff off of my schedule. I organized and attended meetings. Time passed by slowly. People occasionally wished me happy birthday, but my heart wasn't in it. I gave them a brief thank you and left.

On my way back home, I glanced out the right-hand window. A neon sign flickered under the late-night sky: OPEN.

I turned on my right indicator and parked on the side of the street. I needed to lose myself tonight. I couldn't bear it right now. Annabeth, Atlas, my friends, the world - it was all just crashing down on me, and I couldn't breathe. The walls were crumbling. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my car and slammed the door. The familiar smell of liquor and sweat made my nose tingle. I inhaled deeply and entered the bar.

I cocked my ear to the music, absorbing the familiar melody. _Ocean_. The tears threatened to spill over.

Jeff the bartender was there. He smiled at me in recognition. "A beer?"

I almost agreed. I nearly did. But then I was reminded of _her_. How she _dealt_ with her pain, rather than letting it take over her. Even if she ceased to be in my life physically, I had to learn from her. I had to stop being a coward, to bear my own burden.

I shook my head and returned his smile. "Nothing today. Maybe a water."

Jeff followed through with my request. "Things going okay now?"

I shrugged. "Could be better." When he turned away to fill a glass, I furiously wiped my tears away and steeled my nerves.

Another man came up to the counter and asked for a shot, so I settled into the seat near the corner of the bar. I pulled my baseball cap low over my head.

An elderly couple sat at the table in front of me. They weren't touching. They weren't even looking at each other. But as they sipped their drinks, I could feel the air of comfort they exuded. They seemed so happy together. So at ease. There was a level of intimacy in their interactions that I couldn't help but admire.

The older man whispered something to the woman. She threw her head back, laughing. I smiled. I had always dreamed of that kind of a relationship. Intimate, yet not in the way most people thought. Intimacy of the heart. Intimacy of the mind. Not necessarily intimacy of the body.

I had felt that way only two months ago. Now, I still felt the tug of a rope, drawing me towards my other half. But it was impossible now.

My eyes jerked to the door as the bell rang, signaling somebody's entrance.

Was it really impossible now?

A beautiful blonde walked through the door. She held a blue cupcake in the palm of her hand.

Jeff gave her the stink eye. She twisted and turned and emptied her pockets, demonstrating that she, in fact, did not have a pocket knife in her possession. Afterward, she ordered herself a drink and took a long, observant look around the room.

At some point in her analysis of her surroundings, she saw me. And she started walking towards me.

My stomach flipped over.

She seated herself beside me. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and smirked. My cheeks burst into flames.

Her smooth, silky voice. "Hello, Perseus Jackson."

And I found myself falling. Again.

* * *

 **I have one last question for you all. So, I initially intended to end this story with an epilogue, but I wrote it so that, if you guys wanted, I could write a sequel. The sequel would deal with Kronos, and it would explore how Percy and Annabeth build their relationship back up and get over their bad experiences with Atlas. But I need to know whether you would prefer a sequel or just an epilogue. Either way, there will be one more chapter coming up. If you guys choose the sequel, the next chapter will set up the story for the next book. If you guys choose the epilogue, then the next chapter would obviously be the epilogue.**

 **Please let me know what you would prefer! Also, I would really appreciate any additional reviews. Can we get it to 100 by the end?**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	24. Past, Present, Future

**1) Thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it!**

 **2) I know I originally said the sequel was going to have Kronos as the villain, but as I was figuring out a plan for it, I realized Kronos would have no motive, because I originally painted him as a doting dad who had some crazy money-spending issues. But anyways, yeah. I decided on someone else. Hehehe. Special thanks to VCRx for pointing me in a great direction!**

 **3) Please let me know what you think of this idea for the sequel!**

 **4) Happy Halloween! Did you guys go trick-or-treating? I did, with some of my friends, and the adults kinda looked at us weird because we're definitely not the elementary schoolers they were expecting. XD**

* * *

 **?**

She ran her hands over the delicate, yellowed paper. Her long, slender fingers caught on the curled edges as she brushed the soft surface. Her breath hitched. There was a tear. A tiny laceration, roughly a centimeter long, extending diagonally from the corner of the page.

No.

Was it her own carelessness? Was it the old age? Or was it the folder she kept it in that was the culprit?

Cradling it in her palm, she placed the letter back in its folder and tucked it into the safe. She would find a better, safer place for it later. Later, as in once her job had been completed. Once she finally allowed her beautiful angel to rest in peace.

Sighing, she stood up and slipped into her high heels. They clicked against the floor as she strode over to her dresser and examined her reflection. Her makeup was flawless. Not a hair was out of place. She lifted a perfectly-manicured hand to dab a speck of sweat from her neck. There. Beautiful. The picture of poise and perfection.

She rubbed the moisture on the tip of her finger into her handkerchief, neatly folded it, and slipped it into the side zip of her handbag.

Today was the day. The day she had been waiting for. The day she had shed countless tears for, slaved for, been dragged down to the greatest depths of the chasm for. The day she had spent dreaming about for the past five years.

Her handbag started vibrating.

It must be time.

She fished her cell phone out of her bag and rubbed her thumb against the case. Spotless as usual. She flipped it around and swiped right to accept the call.

"Hello?" Good. Gentle-sounding, yet firm. Not too much of a lilt at the end of the word, because then it would signify genuine curiosity. And curiosity meant doubt. Doubt meant weakness.

"All the things you asked for, they've come. You may want to gather them and put your plan into action."

She smiled smugly. "Of course. I will send a representative to pick up the package."

She could hear the man smile through the speaker. Likely in response to his supposed payday. Ha. The unsuspecting fool. "That sounds good. Pleasure doing business with you."

"Yes," she drawled. "Pleasure."

She lifted the phone from her ear and pressed the End Call button.

She took one last glance at her reflection. The fake tan. The wig. The colored contacts. Smirking, she lowered the black mask over her head.

She picked up her "handbag" and dropped her phone back inside.

"I'm coming for you," she swore. "I'm coming for you, Annabeth Chase."

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 **:D**


End file.
